LOS ANGELES: The USA, gunning for their third straight Olympic basketball gold medal, wrapped up their pre-Summer Games exhibition series with a dominating 110-66 win over world No. 25 Nigeria on Monday night.
The Americans’ buildup to the Rio de Janeiro Games included five straight exhibition wins, but just one came against an opponent ranked in the top 10 in the world. They easily beat No. 4 Argentina, No. 14 China twice and rolled over No. 22 Venezuela by 35 points.
“We played good defense and it led to some fast breaks,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Our team is very deep. The most versatile team we have had.”
Despite the absence of NBA stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry, Krzyzewski’s squad is favored to win a third consecutive gold.
A half-dozen Americans finished in double figures Monday, including Carmelo Anthony, who tallied a team high 19 points.
Klay Thompson (17), Kevin Durant (14), DeMar DeRozan (13), DeMarcus Cousins (10) and DeAndre Jordan (10) also finished in double figures. Kyle Lowry had 11 assists and Jordan grabbed nine rebounds in the victory at the Toyota Center arena in Houston, Texas.
“It was good way to close it out. Now the big show starts and we got to lock in,” Anthony said.
He also complained Monday about the basketball they are going to using during the Rio Games, saying he prefers the heavier NBA ball.
“It is lighter and more slippery,” Anthony said. “When it gets wet it is harder to control. That’s a ball you really have to get used to.”
Point guard Kyrie Irving (bruised left thigh) and Paul George (left calf) sat out with injuries on Monday. Irving injured his thigh when he collided with a Venezuela player during Friday’s contest in Chicago.
Venezuela is in the first-round group with the USA, China, Australia, France and Serbia.
The Americans play the Chinese again to open the Rio Olympics on Aug. 6 and also meet Venezuela again.
Stoudemire un-retires to continue career in Israel
Meantime,less than a week after announcing his retirement, former National Basketball Association star Amar’e Stoudemire said Monday he is continuing his career in Israel.
“I may be retiring from the NBA, but I’m not saying goodbye to basketball just yet. My next step is playing for Hapoel Jerusalem, one of the top teams in Europe. This isn’t about collecting a paycheck overseas though; it’s a spiritual journey, too,” Stoudemire said.
Stoudemire, 33, said at a news conference Monday in New York that he would sign a two-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem, the team he co-owns.
As part of the deal, American sports broadcaster ESPN reported he will sell his ownership shares that he purchased in 2013.
The Americans’ buildup to the Rio de Janeiro Games included five straight exhibition wins, but just one came against an opponent ranked in the top 10 in the world. They easily beat No. 4 Argentina, No. 14 China twice and rolled over No. 22 Venezuela by 35 points.
“We played good defense and it led to some fast breaks,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Our team is very deep. The most versatile team we have had.”
Despite the absence of NBA stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry, Krzyzewski’s squad is favored to win a third consecutive gold.
A half-dozen Americans finished in double figures Monday, including Carmelo Anthony, who tallied a team high 19 points.
Klay Thompson (17), Kevin Durant (14), DeMar DeRozan (13), DeMarcus Cousins (10) and DeAndre Jordan (10) also finished in double figures. Kyle Lowry had 11 assists and Jordan grabbed nine rebounds in the victory at the Toyota Center arena in Houston, Texas.
“It was good way to close it out. Now the big show starts and we got to lock in,” Anthony said.
He also complained Monday about the basketball they are going to using during the Rio Games, saying he prefers the heavier NBA ball.
“It is lighter and more slippery,” Anthony said. “When it gets wet it is harder to control. That’s a ball you really have to get used to.”
Point guard Kyrie Irving (bruised left thigh) and Paul George (left calf) sat out with injuries on Monday. Irving injured his thigh when he collided with a Venezuela player during Friday’s contest in Chicago.
Venezuela is in the first-round group with the USA, China, Australia, France and Serbia.
The Americans play the Chinese again to open the Rio Olympics on Aug. 6 and also meet Venezuela again.
Stoudemire un-retires to continue career in Israel
Meantime,less than a week after announcing his retirement, former National Basketball Association star Amar’e Stoudemire said Monday he is continuing his career in Israel.
“I may be retiring from the NBA, but I’m not saying goodbye to basketball just yet. My next step is playing for Hapoel Jerusalem, one of the top teams in Europe. This isn’t about collecting a paycheck overseas though; it’s a spiritual journey, too,” Stoudemire said.
Stoudemire, 33, said at a news conference Monday in New York that he would sign a two-year deal with Hapoel Jerusalem, the team he co-owns.
As part of the deal, American sports broadcaster ESPN reported he will sell his ownership shares that he purchased in 2013.
