Site Map | Archives

Home › Sports › Pro Sports

U.S. beats Brazil, faces Mexico

Brian Mahoney/Associated Press
Monday, August 27, 2007

related linksMore Pro Sports
related linksMOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

related linksTRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.
STORY TOOLS

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — With the leading scorer of the FIBA Americas basketball tournament out of the way, the Americans prepared to look elsewhere to find the person who could make their next game intriguing: the opposing bench.

The United States was set to open the second round of the qualifying tournament for the 2008 Summer Olympics on Aug. 27 against Mexico and coach Nolan Richardson, who has brought the pressure defense style that won him an NCAA title south of the border.

"We know they're a 40-minutes-of-Hell-type team," Carmelo Anthony said. "Coach Nolan, we know what he's about, but we've got to be prepared for that."

The Americans sure were ready for Leandro Barbosa.

LeBron James scored 21 points, Kobe Bryant added 20 and harassed Barbosa all over the court, and the United States clinched the top spot in its group by beating Brazil 113-76 Sunday night.

Anthony also had 21 for the Americans, who for the second straight game pulled away by holding their opponent without a field goal for more than six minutes in the second quarter.

"When you see Kobe Bryant diving for loose balls," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said, "and you see LeBron and Carmelo giving it the kind of work that they're putting into this - that commitment and passion - that's a message."

The Americans improved to 30-0 heading into today's matchup of former coaching rivals: Richardson beat Mike Krzyzewski for the 1994 national title when Arkansas edged Duke.

"Nolan's done an unbelievable job," Krzyzewski said. "They play with constant pressure."

Bryant led the defensive effort that held Barbosa to four points on 1-of-7 shooting before a Thomas and Mack Center crowd that included Jerry Tarkanian, former University of Nevada at Las Vegas coach, and Bill Russell, an NBA Hall of Famer. Injured U.S. star Dwyane Wade watched from the bench for the second straight day.

"My role here is different than it is with the Lakers," Bryant said. "We have so many talented players, and I don't have to score a lot of points. I just try to do the best I can defensively."

Barbosa entered averaging a tournament-best 27 points after scoring 36 Saturday in a 93-89 victory over the U.S. Virgin Islands. But the Phoenix guard and NBA's top sixth man never got into this game because of Bryant's early defense and was on the bench in foul trouble when the Americans broke open the game late in the second quarter.

"I knew that he was going to come up and defense me and guard me like he did, and all I was trying to do was get the ball, but I didn't have many balls in my hand," Barbosa said."

James, Bryant and Anthony combined for the first 19 U.S. points in the second half, turning the game into another romp. The Americans are beating opponents by 48.4 points per game.

Brazil nearly beat the United States last year, losing 90-86 in an exhibition game ahead of the world championships. But Barbosa acknowledged that this isn't the same U.S. team, one that features nine different players this summer.

And the Brazilians are lacking one of their key players, Cleveland forward Anderson Varejao, who doesn't have an NBA contract for next season and opted not to take the risk of playing.

Brazil settled for second place in Group B and will face Puerto Rico today.

The teams with the four best records after second-round play advance to the semifinals next Saturday. The winners of those two games earn spots in Beijing.