Team USA Women 2010 FIBA Worlds- Good Start! USA 99-Greece 73

The Team USA women successfully began their quest for an eighth FIBA world championship in Ostrava by beating Greece 99-73 in their tournament opening Group B game.

They were in the unfamiliar position of coming into this tournament as bronze medalists.

Several members of this team such as Tamika Catchings and Sue Bird who played on the 2006 FIBA squad are on a mission to return this team to its recent gold medal winning ways in international basketball competition.  

Every player on Team USA scored and five were in double figures led by Swin Cash and Angel McCoughtry's 16 points each.   Candice Dupree and Tina Charles chipped in 12 apiece with Tamika Catchings contributing 10 points in 20 minutes of play.

Team USA shot 55.7% for the game and a blistering 45.5% from 3 point land on 5 of 11 shooting from behind the arc and outrebounded Greece 43-19.


Maya Moore became the third collegiate player in the last twelve years to play on a US FIBA team (Chamique Holdsclaw 1998 and Candace Parker 2006) and helped ignite the 17-6 run that expanded a three point USA lead to 32-18 at the end of the first quarter.   That lead grew to a 52-35 at halftime despite Evanthia Maltsi's game high 29 points for Greece.

Team USA continues its Group B play tomorrow with the FIBA Africa champion Senegal team they obliterated last week in a Spanish warmup tournament and Saturday against a French team missing two of its better players from its Eurobasket squad in Sandrine Gruda and Emilie Gomis.

If they finish in the top three teams in Group B they will move on the the crossover round against the surviving members of Group A September 27-29.

Renee, Looking Forward To Team USA Dishing Out That B-Ball Beatdown

The FIBA World Basketball Championships for Women start in just a few hours and one of the things I'm looking forward to in this tournament is when my FIBA Number one ranked 2008 Olympic champion ballers finally get that opportunity in the crossover round to play Canada.

A certain Canadian had a little too much Molson's and was talking smack to me one night about how a Canadian from Ontario by the name of James Naismith invented the game of basketball.

Yep, he sure did. On American soil in Springfield, Massachusetts.

He may have invented the game, but we Americans perfected it, took the FIBA men's championship trophy that bears his name back to the States and are back to dominating the game at all levels. Our men hold championships at all FIBA levels of competition, did so without losing a game to international competition and are also ranked number one in the various FIBA classifications.

Team USA is only a FIBA women's title away from matching what 'the menz' did.

In the meantime, enjoy this video from the Canadian victory over Cuba in the bronze medal game of the 2009 FIBA Americas tournament as the countdown to your b-ball beatdown commences.



The good news is you caught one break by not ending up in Group B with us during the draw. The bad news is you ended in Group A with defending FIBA women's champ Australia, Belarus and China, and you start Group A play with the Opals.

So if Canada is one of the top three teams in Group A, Team USA will be waiting for you in the crossover round.

Looking forward to the upcoming basketball beatdown. USA! USA! USA!

Team USA Women 2010 FIBA Worlds- We Have A Team

The twelve women that are going to represent FIBA number one ranked Team USA and attempt to bring an eighth championship back to US soil were named by USA Basketball today.

Your 2010 FIBA World team will consist of two-time Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings and Diana Taurasi, 2008 Olympic gold medalist Sylvia Fowles, 2004 Olympic gold medalist Swin Cash, Jayne Appel, Tina Charles, Candice Dupree, Asjha Jones, Angel McCoughtry, Lindsay Whalen, and Maya Moore.

Moore is the only collegiate player on this FIBA World Championship squad predominately made up of WNBA and Olympic team ballers.

“The process has been unbelievably difficult. It’s taken a lot out of us, the committee, coaches, staff,” said USA head coach Geno Auriemma. “It was probably the most difficult time that I’ve had as a coach in 35 years. When you have to say goodbye to players as committed to USA Basketball as Kara (Lawson) and Seimone (Augustus) have been, it’s very, very, very difficult. But there’s so much uncertainty in our post players position that we had to make some very difficult decisions. I think the team that was picked is a terrific team. It’s a terrific group of kids and the next nine games will give us an opportunity to prove that.”

“This was an extremely difficult decision for the committee to make,” said USA Basketball Women’s National Team Director and USA Selection Committee member Carol Callan. “After four exhibition games and the scrimmage against the Czech Republic, we believe we have selected the 12 players who will make the best team to be competitive at the World Championship. These players fill various needs that this team has in terms of the international styles of play that we will face in the Czech Republic.

“Players not selected have been and remain a vital part of the USA National Team program and we appreciate the effort they gave throughout our training camps in helping the USA prepare for this important competition. Again, it was not an easy decision to make. Any combination of the 14 finalists would make a formidable team, which is why this was such a tough decision to make.”

They are 63-1 in recent international competition, and will also be attempting to get that automatic qualifying spot in the 2012 London Games women's basketball tournament that goes with winning the 2010 FIBA women's title.

Team USA opens FIBA World Championship play against Greece tomorrow at 12:00 noon EDT with all the games being telecast on NBA-TV. You can also watch all the FIBA games via live streaming at www.FIBATV.com.

Go Team USA!

Team USA Women 2010 FIBA Worlds- Countdown To Cut Day

USA Basketball announced the 14 players who still have the opportunity to make the Team USA women's squad for the FIBA World Championships for Women taking place later this week in the Czech Republic.

The USA squad finalists are: Jayne Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars), Seimone Augustus (Minnesota Lynx), Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Swin Cash (Seattle Storm), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), Tina Charles (Connecticut Sun), Candice Dupree (Phoenix Mercury), Sylvia Fowles (Chicago Sky), Asjha Jones (Connecticut Sun), Kara Lawson (Connecticut Sun), Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota Lynx) and the only collegiate player on this team, UConn's Maya Moore.

Team USA closed out the exhibition schedule with a 3-1 record and have a scrimmage in Brno in moments with FIBA women's tournament hosts the Czech Republic.

Group B pool play for the seven time FIBA women's champs starts in Ostrava on September 23 against Greece, followed the next day with games against Senegal and closing on September 25 with France.

Top three finishers in each group move on to the crossover rounds which will be conducted in Ostrava from September 27-29. Canada's in Group A along with defending FIBA world champ Australia, Belarus, and China.

The medal round will be played in Karlovy Vary, with the quarterfinals scheduled for October 1, the semifinals on October 2 and the medal games played on October 3.

But before we get to that point, the 12 woman FIBA tournament team rosters have to be finalized on September 22.

Coach Auriemma and the USA Basketball staff have some tough decisions to make in terms of who will be the last twelve women standing for the FIBA number one ranked USA women's team.

Whoever makes Team USA, the goals remain the same. Take their eighth FIBA world championship crown and the automatic bid in the London Games back to US shores.

Team USA Women 2010 FIBA Worlds- Another Exhibition Blowout

The Team USA women were more than a little upset about the way they played last night in their 83-77 loss against the defending FIBA world women's champion Australia.

They took out their frustrations on Senegal, who they will see again in Group B pool play on September 24 when the FIBA Women's World Championships start on September 23.

Unlike last night, Team USA was a blistering 65% from the field on 39 of 60 shooting and were 6 of 9 from 3 point range (66.6%). Thirteen USA players scored in this 93-51 win with six Team USA players in double figures.

Team USA outrebounded Senegal 48-23, forced 23 turnovers, and dished out 22 assists and was in command of this game from the opening tipoff.

Hey, save some of this butt kicking intensity and focus for the tournament!

Senegal's only lead of the game was at the 8:36 mark of the first quarter after nailing a three pointer to give them a 3-2 lead. Team USA responded with a 23-2 run to take command of the game and end the quarter with a 31-8 lead which ballooned thanks to the second unit to 50-25 by halftime.

The three point barrage started after halftime and allowed Team USA to expand the lead to 79-37 by the end of the third quarter.

And yes, women's b-ball fans, Maya Moore was back in the Team USA lineup. She had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Diana Taurasi led all scorers with 14 points and five assists on 6 for 7 shooting in just 15 minutes of play. Kara Lawson tallied 13 points on 5 for 5 shooting from the field, including 3-of-3 from 3-point land. Lindsay Whalen chipped in 11 points on 5 for 5 shooting as well. Tina Charles contributed 10 points and six rebounds and Seimone Augustus added 10 points and four assists.

Coach Auriemma was pleased with Team USA's performance. "I thought that defensively we were much better than we were last night. Obviously the level of competition was much different. We are much more talented than Senegal. I don't want us to be dependent on that. Hopefully what we brought to the defensive end today is going to be more indicative of how we're going to play. It's evident that unless we're committed, especially on the defensive end, it's going to be very difficult to reach our goal of winning the World Championship."

Team USA closed out the exhibition schedule with a 3-1 record, but they do have a September 20 scrimmage in Brno with FIBA women's tournament hosts the Czech Republic.

The 12 member FIBA women's tournament team rosters have to be finalized the next day, and bear in mind Sue Bird, Swin Cash and Angel McCoughtry will join the team in the Czech Republic. Sylvia Fowles is day to day after having arthroscopic knee surgery. Coach Auriemma and staff have some tough decisions to make in terms of who will be the last twelve women standing.

Group B pool play starts in Ostrava on September 23 against Greece, followed the next day with the game against Senegal and closing on September 25 with France.

Will Team USA be ready to play and take the championship and the automatic bid for the London Games back home? If they play like they did today, the answer is probably yes.

Team USA Women 2010 FIBA Worlds- Aussies Flip B-ball Script

Last Friday when Team USA took on defending FIBA world champion Australia, they administered an 89-56 beatdown in Hartford.

This time Team USA was on the other side of the Pond in Salamanca, Spain facing an Opals team with Penny Taylor in the lineup. We also didn't have Maya Moore playing due to FIBA regulations that only allow 12 active players on a team and right now the USA roster stands at 14.

Based on today's results, if I were coach Geno, I'd put Maya Moore back on the active squad.

If Team USA was going to play a bad game, glad they got it out of their system now in exhibition play. They shot 48.4% (30-62) for the game but an abysmal 1-11 from 3 point range, turned the ball over 22 times, and got outrebounded by the Opals 43-38 (20 of them were offensive rebounds) as they dropped their opener in the Spain International Tournament 83-77.

Tina Charles led the Team USA scoring with 18 points and seven rebounds, and Lindsay Whalen contributed 13 points on 6-7 shooting. Diana Taurasi had 13 points and Tamika Catchings scored 12 for Team USA.

The Opals were paced by Jenna O’Hea's game high 24 points. Penny Taylor tossed in 18 with Liz Cambage chipping in 17 points. Hollie Grima grabbed a game high 13 rebounds to go with her five points.

The Aussies only shot 38.0% from the field, but lit it up at a 50% clip from three point range on 8-16 shooting. In addition the Opals were 21-25 from the free throw line for the game.

“I thought our defense was nowhere near as good as it was when we played (Australia) in Hartford,” said USA head coach Geno Auriemma. “I thought our energy level was way below where it needed to be, and I was really disappointed in our rebounding and how many times we would get a stop and they were able to continue the possession by getting an offensive rebound.

They are an excellent free-throw shooting team, and we put them on the free-throw line. So, we gave up threes, we put them on the free-throw line and we gave them second shots. Anytime you do that against a team, especially a good team, you’re not going to win the game.”

Well ladies, shake it off, because help is on the way. Sue Bird, Swin Cash and Angel McCoughtry are winging their way across The Pond to you. You have a practice and tomorrow's consolation game against the Spain-Senegal loser and a September 20 game against the Czech Republic to fix whatever is broken.

Shut Up Fool! Awards- Go Team USA Women Ballers Edition

The Team USA women ballers are now in Europe gearing up to play in the FIBA Women's World Championships which start in the Czech Republic September 23-October 3. Bad news for FIBA women's basketball world, Team USA hasn't forgotten what happened in the 2006 FIBA worlds in Brazil.

Since the WNBA Finals are over, Angel McCoughtry, one of the best women ballers on the planet, is about to join the FIBA world number one ranked USA womens team along with Sue Bird and Swin Cash. Maya Moore is already on it and lighting people up and she's just a college senior.

Be afraid FIBA world. Be very afraid. And don't hate if we win FIBA title number eight.

Team USA is playing in a warm up tournament in Salamanca, Spain today and Saturday with Australia, Spain and one of their Group B opponents in Senegal.

Speaking of number one teams, lets see who made it to the top of the rankings for our illustrious SUF award this week.

There was a bumper crop of fools standing out this week. Beck, O'Reilly, Palin number one with a bullet and rising is Delaware tea bagger queen Christine O'Donnell, Rep. Mike Castle and Dinesh D'Souza were considered.

But this week's winner is Kentucky GOP senate candidate Rand Paul.

After running around Kentucky spouting rhetoric that politicians are chicken for not telling you what they plan to do when they're in office, he then hypocritically states that he won't reveal his plan for how to balance the budget and pay for the Paris Hilton tax cuts until after the election.

Rand Paul, shut up fool!

Team USA Women 2010 FIBA Worlds- Headed To Europe

Now that the 'menz' have finally ended their 16 year championship drought in the FIBA Worlds, time for me to turn the TransGriot spotlight toward our Team USA woman, who have handled their basketball business internationally when the men weren't.

They have a 63-1 record in major international basketball competitions (the last loss was against Russia in the 2006 FIBA world semis), have won four consecutive Olympic gold medals (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008), two FIBA World Championship gold medals (1998, 2002), one FIBA World Championship bronze medal (2006) and one FIBA Americas Championship gold medal (2007).

The task of building on this recent run of success for the 2010 edition of Team USA women's squad falls upon the shoulders of UConn's Geno Auriemma and his staff for the FIBA Women's Worlds and the 2012 London Games.

Team USA has been whittled down to 14 finalists, and the goal of the final 12 women left standing for our FIBA Number one ranked women's team is the same as the USA men had for their successful world championship business trip to Turkey.

The Team USA women wish to leave the Czech Republic October 3 with the FIBA crown and the automatic bid for the London Games in hand as well as protect their FIBA number one world ranking.

Was a little bummed to find out that if I'd asked, I could have attended the 89-56 demolition of defending FIBA women's champ Australia Friday night in Hartford. However, not taking too much stock in that game because the Opals were missing Penny Taylor and Lauren Jackson. Jackson is busy playing in the WNBA Finals with Seattle Storm teammates and Team USA members Sue Bird and Swin Cash against the Atlanta Dream and Team USA member Angel McCoughtry and Team USA assistant coach Marynell Meadors.

UConn senior Maya Moore is the only collegiate player on this squad, but as far as I'm concerned she's probably made the 2012 London team as well.

She led the way for Team USA by lighting up the Opals for 16 points. Beijing 'Young Gun' Kara Lawson chipped in 15 points and three assists with Tamika Catchings contributing 12 points and three blocks. Jayne Appel grabbed eight rebounds to go with her seven points.

The next night (September 11) they took out Spain 85-69. They got off to a slow start as Spain took an early 6-0 lead, but tightened up the defense and found themselves headed into the halftime locker room with a 44-24 lead.

They had to withstand a Spanish run that saw them shrink the lead to 68-63, but eventually got it together to build the lead back up to 76-65 and preserve the win.

They had five players in double figures led by UConn alum Tina Charles' double double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kara Lawson had 11 points while Candice Dupree, Asjha Jones and Maya Moore all chipped in 10 apiece.

That capped the domestic portion of Team USA's training and they now headed to Salamanca, Spain to tangle with the Aussies and Spanish teams again along with Senegal on Spain's home soil. They will be playing Australia in the first game of the 2010 Spain International Invitational tournament on September 17 with Spain taking on Senegal. Winners meet in the title game September 18 while losers meet for third place.

Team USA FIBA Worlds- We Are The Champions!

That's right FIBA world, read it and weep. USA rules, you drool.

USA! USA! USA!

The Naismith Trophy is headed back to the nation where basketball was born for the first time since 1994 thanks to the 89-74 demolition of Lithuania in the semifinals and the 81-64 takedown of Turkey in the title game yesterday in front of their home fans in the Sinan Erden Dome.

Oh yeah, Kevin Durant won the FIBA tournament MVP as well.

'B Team' you say? I guess 'B Team' now means 'Best in the World', 'We Beat y'all' or 'soon to be FIBA Number one world ranked ballers'.

To all the European basketball fans who were hatin' on Team USA on the FIBA website and elsewhere, and especially the Serbians, where y'all at? Y'all left Turkey without a medal. Lithuania spanked that behind 99-88 in the bronze medal game, so what's your excuse now?

We'll see y'all in London two years from now assuming you qualify.

While the rest of FIBA world is busy qualifying for London next summer and in 2012, we'll be resting, admiring that beautiful trophy, cheering on the Team USA women as they attempt to do the same thing in the Czech Republic in two weeks and contemplating who will be on the Olympic squad since we got the automatic qualifying slot with it.


You'll also be trying to qualify while we watch Kevin Durant and the rest of the so called 'B team' get stronger, faster, and add more versatility to their games. It also means there will be one more spot available in the FIBA Tournament of the Americas next summer in Argentina.

And more bad news for FIBA world, got more players in the development pipeline.

Check out these results from recent FIBA b-ball tournaments.

FIBA Men's World - GOLD/UNDEFEATED USA
FIBA U-19 World - GOLD/UNDEFEATED USA
FIBA U-18 Americas - GOLD/UNDEFEATED USA
FIBA U-17 Worlds - GOLD/UNDEFEATED USA
FIBA U-16 Americas - GOLD/UNDEFEATED

And I haven't even started talking about the USA women yet, but I will.

Jot this name down for future reference: John Wall.

Y'all thought Russell Westbrook caused your Euroball squads fits, wait until you see John Wall wearing a Team USA jersey at an arena near you.

The new FIBA rules take effect in which you'll have to shoot the three from 6.75 meters (22 feet 2 inches for the metrically challenged), which is getting closer to the NBA 7.23 meter three distance (23 feet 9 inches). You'll have the NBA style rectangular lane and no charge semicirles.

Oh yeah, something else you'll probably see in 2012 is Kevin Durant along with Kobe, LeBron, D-Wade and Chris Bosh from the 2008 Olympic Squad wearing Team USA uniforms.

Congrats to the soon to be FIBA World number one ranked team, and the 2010 World champions.

Team USA FIBA Worlds- USA Beats Russia 89-79

Thirty eight years ago today I was watching on TV as Team USA was screwed out of a basketball gold medal in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

They played the Soviet Union for the gold on that day that lives in American basketball infamy. With Team USA clinging to a 50-49 lead, they stopped the Big Red Machine twice in the final three seconds of the game to seal the apparent gold medal clinching victory.



Incredibly, the Soviets were given a third chance when R. William Jones, Secretary General of FIBA, stepped in and ordered the clock again reset to :03 and the game replayed from that point. This time the Soviets made it count. Aleksander Belov and the USA's Kevin Joyce and Jim Forbes went up for the pass, Belov caught the long pass from Ivan Edeshko at the foul line sending the two Americans sprawling, Belov then drove to the basket for the layup and the winning points.

The controversial 51-50 loss snapped Team USA's 63 win Olympic basketball winning streak. The US filed a post game protest which was denied by FIBA officials. The incensed American players voted unanimously to refuse their silver medals and to this day not one player has picked them up.

Team USA and the Russians have clashed on international basketball courts more than a few times since 1972. Our last FIBA title in 1994 was won at Russian expense in Toronto. But the Russians denied us a chance to repeat as FIBA champs despite the NBA lockout when they knocked Team USA off 66-64 in the 1998 FIBA semis

I bring it up because one of the players for Team USA in that 1972 game, Mike Bantom, is now the NBA's senior vice president of player development and accompanying the team in Turkey.

In addition, there was some pregame trash talking that opened up those old basketball wounds.

Russia's American born coach David Blatt stated that he believed the outcome of the 1972 game was fair.

Coach K shot back, of course, Blatt would have that opinion as a Russian.

During the first quarter, it looked like history was eerily repeating itself as the first quarter ended tied at 25 apiece. The Russians sprinted out to a five point lead during the second quarter before Team USA tightened the defensive screws and started forcing turnovers.

Kevin Durant ensured that there would be no repeat of 1972 as he torched the Russians for 33 points as Team USA broke the game open in the third quarter to cruise to the win and get one step closer to bringing the Naismith Trophy back to the USA.

They will play Lithuania, who knocked off the FIBA number one ranked Argentine squad 104-85. The other semifinal features the hosts Turks and Serbia.

I want the Serbs to get their butts kicked because I'm tired of their fans posting on FIBA sites the BS lie that Team USA's players are on steroids or crowing about the alleged superiority of European basketball.

Yeah, right. NBA ballers are faster and better than the slow plodding Euroball players you're used to watching.

If Euroball is so superior, why are some of your players warming the ends of NBA benches? When I called the Serbian fans on their ignorance and crap, (the NBA is part of the FIBA Clean Game anti doping program) I found myself one day mysteriously blocked from posting on the site until I complained about it.

Then again, it would be more fun if we beat the Serbs down in the finals.

Team USA FIBA Worlds- USA Annihilates Angola 121-66

Been perusing the FIBA basketball website during this tournament and the European basketball fans still are hatin' on Team USA.

They think they have a chance because the Redeem Teamers are watching this one from the comfort of their couches back in the States and presume they have caught up to the USA in basketball ability.

Dream on. The team they love to hate is just three tantalizing wins away from the FIBA title.

Team USA sent a message that you sleep on us at your peril by not expending much labor on Labor Day racing out to a 33-13 first quarter lead, having 11 of the twelve USA players score in the first half, playing in your draws defense and shooting lights out from FIBA three land as they annihilated Angola 121-66 to move to the FIBA World Championships quarterfinals.

Kevin Durant scored all 17 of his points in the first half with 'old man' Chauncey Billups contributing 16 of his game high 19 point in the first two stanzas as well. Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay chipped in 17 points as well.

Team USA shot 18 for 59 from three point range, barely missing the FIBA record of 19, only turned the ball over 5 times, and dished out 30 assists.

"This is what we all sacrificed our summers for," Billups said of trying to win the Americans' first world title since 1994. "Right now we're on the right path."

It won't be as easy from now on. Next up after they get two more days off is a September 9 showdown with Russia, who knocked off New Zealand 78-56.

But if they keep playing like they did against Angola today, FIBA world, you're in big trouble.

Team USA FIBA Worlds- 4 More Wins To The Title

Team USA had three days off after dispatching Tunisia in their final Group B match.

They spent one resting and two practicing for their knockout round game with Angola, the fourth place team from Group A.

While the rest of the FIBA world is still sleeping or hatin' on this team, they are only four wins away from taking the Naismith trophy back to the States for the first time in 16 years and the automatic bid to the London Games basketball tournament that comes with it.

On their side of the tournament bracket lurks Brazil, China, Argentina, and Lithuania, but Coach K and the players like their chances.

“Today we had no contact but good enthusiasm, game like preparation and we already started putting in our game plan for Angola. The guys are healthy. I think the two days have helped us and hopefully translate into playing the kind of defense especially that we want to play,” said Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

If they handle their 11 AM EDT business in the Sinan Erdem Dome against Angola, they will take on the winner of the Russia-New Zealand game on Thursday.

Team USA FIBA Worlds- USA Thrashes Tunisia 92-57

Team USA went into their final FIBA Worlds Group B matchup with nothing to play for except a 5-0 record.

They clinched Group B the day before with their victory over Iran and the only mysteries left before tipoff was who was going to be their first knockout round opponent, how much playing time the starters would get, and how long would it take Team USA to blow out the Tunisians, who were 0-4 in group play while making their first appearance ever in the FIBA Worlds tournament.

The Tunisians has other ideas. They pushed Team USA in the first half and at one point trailed by only two thanks to Team USA's miserable 1-10 shooting behind the FIBA arc and failure to put together consistent stretches of offense.

Despite the sloppy first half and the determined effort from Tunisia, Team USA led 39-33 at halftime.

Team USA opened it up in the third quarter with an 8-2 run kick started by a Kevin Durant three ball. They started lighting it up from FIBA three land after that and tightened up the defensive pressure to hold the Tunisians to 13 points in the quarter to stretch that lead to a 63-46 advantage by the end of the quarter.

Team USA kicked in the afterburners for a 29-11 4th quarter to close out the 92-57 win.

USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in the post game news conference: "We thought in our pool every team played hard. Tunisia's play was symbolic of that type of play, as they fought on every possession. An outstanding first half for them. You get 25 offensive rebounds, it means that you never give up on the ball and I admire that. Although we need to work on our stuff a little better, I thought we played hard in the second half.

For the third game in this tournament everybody on Team USA scored. High point man was Eric Gordon who finished with 21 points thanks to 4 of 7 three point shooting. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both chipped in 14 points.

On to three days off, the knockout rounds and a Monday matchup with the 4th place team in Group A, perennial FIBA African Zone champ Angola.

Team USA FIBA Worlds- USA Clinches Group B: Beats Iran 88-51

While the USA and Iran have had major beefs with each other politically since 1979, the political frostiness doesn't extend to the world of sport.

Team USA played Iran in a FIBA World Championship Group B matchup in which the stakes were clear. Win the game and you not only clinch the top spot in the group, but get two days off before you take on the 4th seeded team from Group A on September 4.

After another slow start that found Team USA briefly trailing the scrappy Iranians 5-3, Team USA woke up and took the lead for good on a Kevin Durant jumper with 6:23 to go in the period. Iran stayed close and only trailed 19-13 at the end of the first period thanks to the fearless play of power forward and Rice University baller Arsalan Kazemi and team captain and point guard Mahdi Kamrani.

Team USA stepped up the pressure in the second quarter to expand their advantage by halftime to 42-28. They outscored the Iranians 46-23 in the second half to secure the victory and move to 4-0 in group play.

Team USA had four players in double figures and scoring contributions from everyone for the second time. Kevin Love was the high point man off the bench with 13 while Kevin Durant scored 12 in 20 minutes of work

Team USA's final game in Group B play is with 0-4 Tunisia at 9:30 AM EDT

Team USA FIBA Worlds- Survivor Istanbul: 70-68

Team USA turned their first two games in FIBA worlds play into track meets. But today they were confronted by a Brazilian team in Group B that wasn't 'scurred' of them. It's also coached by former Argentinian national team head man Ruben Magnano, who has engineered two of the 7 losses that the Team USA men have suffered recently in international play.

In addition to Brazil's basketball tradition, it also has NBA ballers of their own on their FIBA squad. While Nene Hilario didn't make the team due to injury, it does have Leandro Barbosa, Tiago Splitter, and Anderson Varejao who didn't play due to an ankle injury.

They didn't need him as Brazil shot a lights out 71% in the first half thanks to some piss poor pick and roll defense by Team USA and Brazil nailing seven of 11 three pointers for a 46-43 halftine lead.

Kevin Durant kept Team USA close by being a one man 19 point wrecking crew in the first half. He dropped four treys, five of six free throws and seemed as though he was the only guy busting his butt on defense. He would finish the game with 27 points and 10 rebounds and play 39 minutes.

Team USA regrouped and came out swinging in the third quarter as they tightened up the defense and outscored Brazil 18-13 to take a narrow 61-59 lead. Splitter and Marcelo Huertas picking up their 4th fouls in the quarter didn't hurt either.

But Team USA could never get that knockout scoring run they needed to secure the game. It was a nailbiter down the stretch that came down to Marcelo Huertas having two free throws with :03 seconds in regulation time to tie it and send the game into overtime.

Huertas missed the first one and deliberately clanked the next one off the rim. He tracked down the rebound and whipped a pass toward Leandro Barbosa who was in the in the paint who missed the contested shot at the buzzer

Team USA now leads Group B with a 3-0 record, and after their day off takes on Iran on Thursday.

Team USA just needs either one more win against either Iran or Tunisia or a Brazil loss to clinch the number one seed and get three days off before they take on the 4th place team in Group A in the knockout rounds.

Team USA FIBA Worlds- USA Smacks Slovenia 99-77

Team USA got the early Group B game this morning, and you know the old saying about the early bird. Team USA was wide awake as evidenced by Kevin Durant on Slovenia's opening possession snatching the ball away and raring in for a dunk just 20 seconds into the game and an arena filled with Slovenian fans.

Team USA raced out to an early 12-2 lead and nailed 8 of their first 11 shots for a 23-11 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

Slovenia woke up, tightened up the defense and held the USA scoreless for six and a half minutes while they crept back into the game with help from sloppy USA play.

The Slovenians whittled the early deficit down to 26-23 at the 3:36 mark before Russell Westbrook jump started an 8-0 American run with his basket and an assist on Kevin Love's bucket. Love had an amazing basket during that run in which he grabbed an offensive rebound with his right arm while Uros Slokar was holding his left one, and putting it back in while being fouled.

At the halftime break Team USA had a 42-28 lead and put the game out of reach in the third with another killer run. Lamar Odom and Derrick Rose hit consecutive 3 pointers to get the basketball party started to trigger another run that pushed the USA advantage to a 59-32 lead with 4:30 remaining in the period. They expanded it to a 67-46 advantage when Rudy Gay was fouled with :01 second left on the clock.

Team USA had five players in double figures led by Kevin Durant's 22 points with Rudy Gay chipping in 16. Kevin Love chipped in 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench to move to 2-0 in Group B play with the 99-77 win.

The next game for Team USA that will be televised on ESPN at 2 PM EDT is with a Brazilian team that is missing Nene due to injury but has NBA ballers Anderson Varejao, Leandro Barbosa and Tiago Splitter.

After that Team USA gets a well deserved day off before it takes on Iran and Tunisia.