2010 FIBA World Championship

[tarheelblue89]

I am shocked that there isn't a thread already. Maybe there is, I really didn't look for one.

The Redeem Team B is looking really sharp today against Croatia.

Greece beat China

Lebanon is about to beat Canada (Nash-less)

[King Taharqa]

US survives test, holds on to edge Brazil 70-68

ISTANBUL (AP)—The shot bounced off the back rim, then the front, then finally fell out.

With that, the United States walked off the court with a victory, and another warning: A world championship won’t come easily for this young team—if it comes at all.

The Americans survived their first tough test in Turkey, edging Brazil 70-68 on Monday when Leandro Barbosa’s shot rattled out at the buzzer.

“This game right here was an eye opener,” U.S. guard Derrick Rose said.

Kevin Durant scored 27 points and Chauncey Billups added 15 for the Americans (3-0), who essentially clinched Group B with the victory. But they have bigger goals than a group championship, trying to end a 16-year U.S. drought in this event.

This U.S. team has to do without Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and all the other players who led the Americans to the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics, and those guys never needed breaks at the buzzer.

“We know that teams are really coming in here to try to win this tournament and we’re here to do the same,” said Rose, the only other U.S. player in double figures with 11 points.

After the Americans trailed most of the first 2 1/2 quarters, Lamar Odom’s dunk with 7:14 left put them ahead 64-62. But they couldn’t build on the lead during a tense final few minutes, and Brazil had two chances to send the game to overtime.

Following a miss by Billups, Brazil got the ball and Marcelo Huertas was fouled on a drive to the basket with 3.5 seconds remaining. He missed the first free throw and then the second intentionally, tracking it down in the corner and firing it underneath to Barbosa, who lofted a shot over Kevin Love, only to have it bounce off the back and front of the rim.

“I thought it was going to in, but it’s OK,” Barbosa said. “I think we did a great job, it was a great game. I don’t think the USA knew that we could cause problems for them and we did it.”

Barbosa finished with 14 points after a strong start for Brazil (2-1). Marcus Vinicius scored 16, and Tiago Splitter had 13 points and 10 rebounds while battling foul trouble in the second half.

U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski used his reserves liberally in the first two games, but gave much longer runs to the starters Monday after the backups were ineffective during their first stints.

Billups, who played in the 2007 victory over Brazil, thought it was good for his young teammates to have a close game so soon.

“We came out victorious, but for the young guys, just know how thin of a line it is. Possessions, turnovers, things like that that we talk about,” he said. “Now they can see it.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AjfxqjqfhMwfMoDR1bEbx528vLYF?slug=ap-worlds-brazil-us

[tarheelblue89]

Brazil's got a really strong squad. If Nene were healthy I don't think we win that one.

Great win

[Porn Shop Clerk]

Durant has been showing everyone he's the real deal.

[King Taharqa]

USA defeats Iran, 88-51

ISTANBUL (AP)—In the political arena, Iran vs. the United States is a matchup that gets attention.

In a basketball arena, not so much.

“For me, it’s a normal game,” Iran captain Mahdi Kamrany said.

The United States won it easily, earning a top seed in the knockout round of the world championship with an 88-51 victory Wednesday in the first meeting between the countries with a history of contentious relations.

The U.S. team, which downplayed the political aspect of the game, methodically pulled away in the first half, wearing down the Asian champions with its depth and athleticism.

“We just respected their basketball team and we just played a basketball game,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “There’s no political aspect in my mind in the ballgame.”

Kevin Love scored 13 points and Kevin Durant 12 for the Americans (4-0), who will meet the fourth-place team from Group A in the round of 16.

After playing his starters for most of the second half of a 70-68 victory over Brazil on Monday, Krzyzewski went to the bench early in this one, with the Americans shooting 58 percent and scoring 23 points off turnovers in the easy victory.

Hamed Haddadi scored 19 points for Iran (1-3) and Arsalan Kazemi had 14.

“I’m very happy, I played against the best team in the world,” Kamrany said.

The tensions between the nations’ governments provided the backdrop off the court, with a group of fans sitting near midcourt before the game holding U.S. and Iran flags and a sign reading “PEACE” in between.

The only sparring on the floor was a playful bump between Haddadi and U.S. forward Rudy Gay, teammates with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.

“We should leave politics to the politicians,” U.S. center Tyson Chandler said. “We’re here to play basketball.”

The countries have feuded for decades and their relations have deteriorated in recent years, with the United States supporting sanctions against Iran for continuing with programs it believes could be used to create nuclear weapons.

The U.S. team tried to keep the focus on the floor, with Krzyzewski saying he had played in Iran in the 1970s with an Armed Forces team and had great respect for the country.

Krzyzewski was answering a question about turnovers in the postgame news conference when he noticed Iran coach Veselin Matic to his left nodding in agreement.

“That’s the first level of diplomacy. That’s one thing we’re in agreement with,” Krzyzewski joked.

There’s no rivalry on the basketball court, where the nations had never met in Olympic or world championship play. The Iranian national team even came to Utah two years ago at the invitation of the NBA to play in a summer league as preparation for the 2008 Olympics.

“That’s one of the beautiful things about sports,” U.S. center Lamar Odom said. “If you think about the history of sports, you take people from different cultures, from different beliefs and bring them together. Sports is the one thing that can kind of bring people together and have a great atmosphere. It was great playing a game like this.”

And in a nod to the Iranian supporters in Istanbul—which included minister of sports Ali Saeedlou earlier in the tournament—dancers were ordered to cover up for their performances during the game. Islam prohibits women from exposing their skin in public, and Iranian officials had turned their backs when the dancers performed in earlier games.

The dancers wore long pants Wednesday.

Iranian fans, many waving flags and chanting, had plenty to cheer early. Haddadi won the opening tip, Durant fired a pass behind Andre Iguodala and out of bounds on the Americans’ first possession, and the U.S. lead was only six after one quarter.

But the Americans quickly pushed it into double digits in the second and gradually extended it to 14 at halftime. They opened the second half with another burst to push it past 20 and turn Group B’s second game of the night into a dull affair.

Krzyzewski said he thought the Americans were tired, more mentally than physically, against Brazil, in what was their third game in three days and sixth in 10—in three different countries. They were fresher after a day off, with Krzyzewski saying they looked better in the second half.

“As the game moved along we got better in the game,” he said.

Following Thursday’s game against winless Tunisia, the Americans will have three days off before playing Monday against an opponent still to be determined. But a difficult quarterfinal could follow, with Spain looming as a possible opponent after two surprising losses have dropped the defending world champions into third place in their group.

The Americans want to have their reserves playing well by then, and all 12 players scored Wednesday. Derrick Rose had 11 points and Danny Granger added 10.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AsdlRCMNWUw8Tsp5VaUXJVK8vLYF?slug=ap-worlds-us-iran

[King Taharqa]

USA beats Tunisia, 92-57

ISTANBUL (AP)—With nothing to play for, the United States looked as if it didn’t want to play.

Outworked and outhustled, the Americans led winless Tunisia by only four points early in the third quarter before turning the game into a rout over the final 15 minutes of a 92-57 victory Thursday.

Eric Gordon scored 21 points for the U.S., which had already clinched first place in its group and was more interested in getting through this one healthy— which it didn’t do—than earning any style points.

“It happens,” center Lamar Odom said. “These teams are pumped up to play against us. You’re not going to always blow a team out in the first three or four minutes of a game.”

That’s often what’s expected of the powerful U.S., though.

“It’s kind of like the Tour de France, except you have to win every stage,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “You have to look good in every stage.”

The U.S. (5-0), seeded first in Group B, next plays on Monday against Angola, the No. 4 seed from Group A.

Reserve forward Rudy Gay sat out the second half with what was called a slightly pulled right groin. He is expected to be OK for the next game.

The Americans misfired on nine of 10 3-point attempts in the first half and failed to show any sustained stretches of good offense, an occasional problem for the team during the group stage. The Americans have time to clean it up, with three days off before playing their first elimination game.

“On these next few days, we have to get better,” Krzyzewski said.

The U.S. opened with its three toughest opponents, then faced easy ones in Iran and Tunisia. Chauncey Billups, who earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” for his clutch play in big games, attributes the sloppiness the last two nights to the fact that little was at stake.

“It’s kind of tough, but the good thing about it is those games are over now and every game is as big as the next one now,” Billups said.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook each scored 14 points for the U.S. team and Stephen Curry had 13. Marouan Kechrid scored 15 points and Macram Ben Romdhane added 11 for Tunisia, which went 0-5 in its first appearance in the worlds.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AiDIqQY9YqKCsvj1.ItwLf.8vLYF?slug=ap-worlds-tunisia-us

[Kevin Greene]

Glad the young guys are finally getting a chance to represent.

Even moreso happy Kobe is home resting his body for next years title defense for the first time in years.

[MadHatter]

this team still has the same problem that has plagued the USA in international competitions.....our outside shooting is pretty weak.

[tarheelblue89]

2 More wins!!!!!

Dominated a tough Russian team in the second half today.

Lithuania beat the sh it outta Argentina.

US/Lithuania on Saturday in the semis.

[King Taharqa]

STANBUL (AP)—Chauncey Billups made the promise. Kevin Durant made sure it was kept.

And by beating Russia on Thursday, the Americans brought a little joy to one of the players who will never forget what happened against the Soviets exactly 38 years earlier.

Durant scored 33 points to lead the United States to an 89-79 victory that moved it within two wins of its first world basketball championship since 1994.

The victory came on the anniversary of the Soviet Union’s win over the Americans for the 1972 Olympic gold medal, a game with an ending so controversial the U.S. players refused to accept their silver medals.

No player on the young American team is old enough to remember that game— many are barely old enough to remember the Cold War. But Mike Bantom, the NBA’s senior vice president of player development, played on that U.S. team and is in Turkey with the Americans.

“I told him today, ‘I know nothing’s going to bring that back, man, but at least we’ll try to make you at least smile today,’ ” Billups said. “And he was like, ‘Yeah, that’d be nice.”’

Durant ensured there would be no worries at the finish of this one, shooting 11 of 19 while just missing Carmelo Anthony’s world championship team record of 35 points, set in 2006.

“We’re going to go to him,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “I’ve learned in coaching you should get your best player the ball.”

The U.S. will play Saturday against Lithuania, which beat Argentina 104-85. Host Turkey and Serbia will play in the other semifinal.

The U.S. and Russia have met many times since 1972, including a U.S. victory 16 years ago in Toronto that gave the Americans their last world championship. And there isn’t much of a rivalry anymore between the nations—the NBA even opened an office in Moscow on Thursday.

But the memory hasn’t faded of the clash in Munich, where the Soviets were given a third chance after the Americans stopped them twice in the final 3 seconds, and they eventually scored on the second do-over for a 51-50 victory— the Americans’ first Olympic loss after 63 victories.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AnshUs7LV.N1KBN1LmrKObK8vLYF?slug=ap-worlds-us-russia

[King Taharqa]

USA wins Gold medal at FIBA

ISTANBUL (AP)—Kevin Durant beamed as he listened to his national anthem, which hadn’t been played at the end of the world championship in 16 years.

And that was no “B-Team” standing beside him on the center of the medals platform.

It was the best team in the world.

The United States won its first world championship since 1994 on Sunday, beating Turkey 81-64 behind another sensational performance from the tournament MVP.

Durant scored 28 points, setting a record along the way for most in the tournament by a U.S. player. He left the court with 42 seconds remaining and shared a long hug with coach Mike Krzyzewski, who finally won the world title after his previous two attempts ended with bronze medals.

“Our only option was to come out here and get a gold, and it feels really good to bring this back home to the States,” Durant said.

Lamar Odom added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Americans, who won gold in the worlds for the fourth time, doing so with a team that was no sure thing after coming to Turkey without the superstars from its Olympic gold medal team.

With Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Co. sitting home, this group was called a “B-Team,” which the players were aware of and couldn’t wait to disprove.

“I think that was extra motivation,” Durant said. “It was exciting to come out here and win and also to prove people wrong.”

And they came through where many of their bigger-name predecessors couldn’t four years ago in Japan in the world championship, beginning to quiet a raucous crowd midway through the second quarter with a superb defensive effort.

“I thought we rallied and we became a little bit of an unconventional team,” Krzyzewski said. “We thought we could win, we just felt it would be a lot harder, and they worked real hard and they made it happen.”

Durant, who scored 33 and a U.S.-record 38 points in the previous two games, again took care of the offense, qualifying the U.S. for the 2012 Olympics.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Ag3JJer2D7400w37bFo95lS8vLYF?slug=ap-worlds-us-turkey#mwpphu-container

[tarheelblue89]

Awesome game, well for us.

The crowd was fu cking electric all night. I love euro ball.

[Britneck]

Coach K is having a pretty good year.

[King Taharqa]

Following the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Men which concluded last Sunday in Istanbul, Turkey, FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, announcing Friday it had launched a completely new world ranking system. The USA currently ranks No. 1 in all categories, including the new youth rankings for boys and girls which have been added in the new world ranking system.

“It is a tribute to the outstanding players and coaches who have been involved in our programs, and a testament to the commitment and hard work they have given” USA Basketball CEO/Executive Director Jim Tooley said. “Not only has USA Basketball been able to attract and involve at all levels the best players and coaches in our country to achieve this unprecedented success on the court, but our teams have represented our nation and the sport of basketball with respect, honor and dignity.”

“This is an extraordinary accomplishment for USA Basketball and its men’s and women’s programs,” said USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo. “It really is a remarkable achievement when you think about the United States currently being the men’s and women’s Olympic champs, the men’s world champion, the men’s and women’s U19 and U17 FIBA world champs, and the men’s and women’s U18 and U16 FIBA Americas champions.”

USA Basketball teams were flawless this past summer. The USA Men’s World Championship Team finished 9-0 to claim its USA’s first FIBA World Championship title since 1994, the USA Men’s U17 Team captured the FIBA U17 World Championship in Germany with an unblemished 8-0 record, and the USA U18 squad collected the FIBA Americas U18 title with a perfect 5-0 mark. On the women’s side, the USA women will compete in the upcoming Sept. 23-Oct. 3 FIBA World Championship in the Czech Republic, and have already claimed the FIBA U17 World Championship crown in France with an 8-0 record, and the USA women also won the FIBA Americas U18 Championship with a 5-0 mark.

For the first time ever, the U19 and U17 FIBA World Championships for Boys and Girls as well as all U16 and U18 zone championships weigh in to determine the new FIBA world rankings for Boys and Girls.

The new FIBA world ranking system now includes five categories: Men, Women, Boys, Girls and a Combined World Ranking that takes into account results from all genders and all age categories. The new system makes for a more accurate ranking order of the world’s basketball nations.

“I am very happy to see these new and complete world rankings including the youth categories,” said FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann.

“This is a great initiative and one that has been a long time coming. We have to make sure we reward the countries that perform well in youth competitions because the young players coming through the junior ranks are the best investment in the future of basketball.”

“With the new system in place, we can see that the USA have overtaken Argentina in the Men’s Ranking and now top all categories. This is a reflection of the talent and commitment they have both in Men’s and Women’s teams at Junior and Senior level,” Baumann added.

http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/FIBA_rankings_2010_09_17.html

I dont think there's any question which country produces the best basketball players on the planet anymore. Team USA has DOMINATED international play on all levels the past few years.