BEIJING: A US team of NBA All Stars made easy work of defeating Spain in a 119-82 victory as the reigning world champions suffered their first defeat here yesterday in the Beijing Olympic basketball tournament.
This victory left the United States one win away from topping Group B, something they will achieve if they later beat a German team that was all but knocked out of medal contention with a 59-55 loss to China.
The Americans used their signature blanket defense and a high powered offense to put the game away early in the second quarter, going up by 20 points with a balanced attack based on an array of fast break dunks and savvy outside shooting.
“I was really pleased with our effort,” US coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
“I liked our defense, forcing the number of turnovers we did was the most satisfying for me.” Eight US players scored in double figures, led by reigning NBA scoring champion LeBron James with 18 points, followed by Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade with 16 each, Chris Paul with 14 and Kobe Bryant with 11.
“I was really proud of the way we came into the game focused, from the beginning to the end and on both ends of the court,” Denver Nugget Anthony said.
Spain was led by Fernando Reyes with 19 points, while Bryant’s Los Angeles Laker teammate Pau Gasol added 13 points for the losers.
