All around them, the Americans find compelling matchups for the round of 16: a rematch of the 2006 title game; a coach facing a home country he led to an Olympic gold medal; two bitter rivals to get it all started. All the while, a fairly navigable road right to the semifinals was emerging for the United States.
With the field down to 16 teams, the knockout stage of the basketball world championship begins Saturday with two highly anticipated matchups. Balkan rivals Serbia and Croatia, who fought a war in the early 1990s, play the opening game at the Sinan Erdem Dome. That's followed by Spain vs. Greece, two of the pre-tournament favorites.
Marcelo Machado scored 18 points, Anderson Varejao grabbed 12 rebounds in his longest stint at the world championship, and Brazil clinched third place in Group B with a 92-74 victory over Croatia on Thursday. Brazil (3-2) bounced back from a pair of narrow losses to earn a meeting with South American rival Argentina on Tuesday.
01
Sep
2010Worlds Capsules (AP)
The United States earned a top seed in the knockout round of the world championship with an 88-51 victory over Iran on 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.
Jaka Lakovic scored 20 points, hitting consecutive 3-pointers to halt a furious Brazil comeback, as Slovenia blew nearly all of a 17-point lead before holding on for an 80-77 victory Wednesday. Slovenia (3-1) took sole possession of second place in Group B, while Brazil (2-2) came up just short again after losing by two to the United States on Monday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were a fairly stable franchise during the LeBron James Era but now that the team is...
The Cleveland Cavaliers were a fairly stable franchise during the LeBron James Era, but now that the team is...
-
Categories
