» NBA Basketball » Guess Who's Back? USA Basketball and This Time They Mean Business With a 114-69 Exhibition Victory Over Puerto Rico
Guess Who's Back? USA Basketball and This Time They Mean Business With a 114-69 Exhibition Victory Over Puerto Rico
Story by: Sean egnew
Posted April 21, 2006
Photos by: Sol tucker
Las Vegas, NV--
If some of the best basketball players in the world are going to take things into their own hands, its probably best to have the group of players Coach K has assembled as the USA Basketball team.
Last night in front of a packed Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Carnello Anthony decided to again put the USA Basketball team back on the map after a disappointing peformance since 2002 when they lost six of their 17 games at the 2002 World Championship and 2004 Olympics.
Tonight the team played with much better composure and it looked as if they were actually having fun for the first time in many years on the court.
After battling back and forth in the first quarter against a speedy Puerto Rico team led by Carlos Arroyo, the USA team made some adjustments and let Krzyzewski run the show the way it needed to be.
The first quarter was a even affair as Orlando Magic guard Carlos Arroyo's nine first quarter points helped keep his Puerto Rico team within reach and following a 3-pointer by Rick Apodaca right before the buzzer the USA lead stood at three, 29-26 after one period.
"Puerto Rico played a great first quarter and made adjustments to go against our pressure defense and they were really good. And then our guys made some adjustments to not overextend themselves and we were really good. Our guys are diving for balls and they're playing hard and playing unselfishly like that. I'm proud of them and we are going to get an early morning flight and go to China now and hopefully we'll improved a little bit there too," said USA head coach Krzyzewski.
Thirteen of the USA's 14 finalists scored in the game, LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks) each recorded 10 points, while the USA' rebounding effort was led by Dwight Howard's (Orlando Magic) 10 boards, and by Chris Paul (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets) who handed out a game best eight assists.
Dwyane Wade and Company Mean Business This Time Around
The final remaining question is who will make the final squad of 12 players. On the bubble are Shane Battier and Bruce Bowen. While the edge seems to go to Battier, Bowen has leadership that this team needs along with the other leaders. Bowen knows how to bring home a championship and would like to as a member of the USA team.
The USA's training now moves to Guangzhou, China, where the team will train Aug. 6, and play two games as part of the China Basketball Challenge, facing China on Aug. 7 and Brazil on Aug. 8.
From Aug. 11-15 the USA will participate in the five-team World Basketball Challenge 2006 that will be held in Seoul, Korea, at the site of the 1988 Olympic Games basketball competition - Jamsil Gymnasium. The Challenge features national teams from the United States, Italy, Korea, Lithuania and Turkey.
The World Basketball Challenge 2006 officially gets underway Friday, Aug. 11, when Korea plays Turkey (6 p.m., all times local). On Saturday, Aug. 12, Korea will take on Lithuania (2 p.m.), while Italy and Turkey (4 p.m.) will clash in the evening's second game. The USA opens its play on Sunday, Aug. 13, against Lithuania (2 p.m.), and Korea versus Italy (4 p.m.) caps the day's schedule. The Challenge concludes Tuesday, Aug. 15, with Korea meeting the U.S. (3 p.m. local time). The U.S. squad is also scheduled to train in Seoul on Aug. 11, 12, 14, and 16.
