UCLA prospects update: 2011 PG Quinn Cook still lists UCLA, 2010/11 SG De'Andre Daniels going to prep academy, college in 2011

Props to ipsedixit for posting on Bruin Zone.





Quinn Cook to Cut List; Daniels to IMG
By Adam Zagoria on August 27, 2010, 9:37AM

Quinn Cook is down to seven schools and plans to determine his official visits soon.

“I got seven schools, Duke, St. John’s, Rutgers, Georgetown, UCLA, Arizona and North Carolina,” Cook said by phone from the Boost Mobile Elite 24 game in Venice Beach, Calif.

Cook, who will play at Oak Hill (Va.) Academy, is the No. 5 point guard in the Class of 2011.

In signing 2011 point guards, UCLA already lost out on Jahii Carson (Mesa, AZ) 5-10 170 (committed to ASU) and Nick Johnson (Findlay Prep, NV) 6-3 185(committed to Arizona). Still uncommitted are Cook, Cezar Guerrero (Bellflower, CA) 6-0 175 and Josiah Turner (Sacramento, CA) 6-2 180.

Cook said he hasn’t figured out where he’ll take his official visits yet.

“I’ll know by next week,” he said. “I’m not sure yet.”
Cook is very close with Duke guard Nolan Smith. Both are from the Washington D.C. area. Both played for D.C. Assault. And both have the Oak Hill connection.

So is Duke an option? It may depend on how the Austin Rivers situation plays out. Rivers is considering Duke, Florida and North Carolina, but many observers expect him to land at Duke.

“It’s an option that I’m looking into,” Cook said of Duke.

Cook is also considering both Rutgers and St. John’s. Thanks to Rutgers associate head coach David Cox, Rutgers now has a strong pipeline into D.C. Assault, as evidenced by the commitments of Jordan Goodman and Malick Kone.

St. John’s is also an option for Cook.

“They’re on my list,” Cook said. “I have a good relationship with Coach [Steve] Lavin. They’re definitely on my list right now.”

Whatever he decides, Smith thinks it would be best for Cook to make a decision in the early signing period.

“I think it would be best for him to get it out before his senior season,” Smith said recently in New York. “A lot of guys don’t think it would but it will make his senior year go a lot smoother and he can just focus on basketball. I think it should be coming real soon.”


DANIELS TO IMG ACADEMY


"The 6-foot-8, 180-pound Daniels is ranked the No. 3 shooting guard in the Class of 2011 by Rivals, and Derrick Taylor, his coach at Woodland Hills (Calif.) Taft compared him to a young Scottie Pippen."

Woodland Hills (Calif.) Taft also produced Bruin alum Jordan Farmar.

Daniels visited UCLA recently and was a possible signee for the 2010 season but now has opted to go to IMG Academy and postpone college till 2011.





DeAndre Daniels is expected to enroll in IMG Academy on Sunday, sources confirm.

“I want to be sure that I’m ready [for college] and get bigger and gain some weight and be a better basketball player,” he said recently.

The 6-8, 192-pound Daniels also confirmed he would head to college in 2011.

USA Basketball waxes Greece 87-59

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

USA Men’s World Championship Team Clamps Down On Defense, Collects 89-57 Victory Over Host Greece


Aug. 25, 2010 • Athens, Greece

Boxscore • Photos

The 2010 USA Men’s World Championship Team turned up its defensive pressure in the second half and ran away with an 87-59 victory over Greece on Wednesday night at OAKA Arena in Athens, Greece. Guard Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers) came off the bench to lead the U.S. with 18 points while shooting 4-of-7 from 3-point range as the American men closed out its pre-FIBA World Championship exhibition schedule with a perfect 4-0 slate.

Also scoring in double digits in the win were Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder) with 15 points and seven boards, Player of the Game Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) shot 6-of-7 from the field and scored 13, while Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves) checked in with a double-double of 10 points and a game-best 12 rebounds.

“We know it’s an exhibition game,” said USA and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “Greece did not have its two big guys (Sofoklis Schortsanitas and Yiannis Bourousis) inside, but for us it was good to play another international game against a great country, a good atmosphere, and it just gives us more experience. We’re happy that we got a chance to play everyone and I think they played all their healthy players. The score is insignificant really because they didn’t have their complete team against us.”


“Well, I’m just making open shots,” said Gordon. “Our team was in great rhythm and I basically scored off transition baskets, just hitting threes and just hitting easy layups.”

Greece, which was playing without the services of two of its centers, Sofoklis ‘Baby Shaq’ Schorsanitas, who was injured during warm-ups, and Yiannis Bourousis, got on the board first, but the lead was short-lived. Rose hit a three at 7:52 and the USA never again trailed. Rose’s three was the start of a 16-4 USA run that ended with another three, this one from Gordon, which put the U.S. up 16-6 with 4:05 still to go in the first period.

However, the U.S. had a hard time pulling away from the Greeks as the USA’s 22-14 lead at the end of the first quarter was expanded to just 10 points, 42-32, at halftime.

Greece edged back to within eight points, 45-37, three minutes into the second half. From there, the USA’s defense clamped down and slowly wore out the hosts. On the other end, Durant scored five consecutive points, followed by an Andre Igoudala (Philadelphia 76ers) dunk on a fast-break pass from Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets) and the red, white and blue was off and running. Including the 7-0 run fueled by Durant, the U.S. machine outpaced Greece 23-7 to close out the quarter with a commanding 68-44 lead.

“We went out with a bang,” said Rose. “We played well. At halftime, we just tried to come out, play aggressive and not let them back in, like we did Spain. That’s something we’ve been working on and it’s coming along.”

During the third-quarter assault, when the USA outscored Greece 26-12, the USA notched five steals, forced seven turnovers and dished out seven assists. Additionally, the U.S. shot an even 60.0 percent (9-15 FGs) from the field in the third quarter, while limiting Greece to just 36.4 percent (4-11 FGs).

“We were up 10 and we wanted to use that opportunity to practice playing with a lead,” said Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors). “We wanted to use our energy on defense to get some stops to make it easier on ourselves down the stretch.”

The USA edged Greece 19-15 in the fourth period.

“Obviously they didn’t have the big fellow (Schortsanitas) playing, he’s a tough match-up with anybody,” said Billups. “They weren’t the Greece that I’m sure we’ll see if we play them in Turkey. But at the same time, I’m sure they wanted to come out and win, playing on their home soil. We have a really competitive rivalry with that team as well, so they wanted to win. I thought we came out and play as hard as we could.”

Kostas Tsaartsaris hit 9-of-12 of his shots from the field and finished with a game-high 24 points for Greece.

Outrebounding Greece 44-22, the American defense forced 24 Greek turnovers and posted 18 steals.


The 2010 USA World Championship Team assistant coaches are Syracuse University’s Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan and Toronto Raptors head mentor Jay Triano.

All four of the USA’s pre-World Championship friendlies were part of the new Global Community Cup, which will include all USA Basketball exhibition games played outside of formal international competitions. Along with the games, the Global Community Cup features a social responsibility element that will highlight USA Basketball’s commitment to giving back to communities in the U.S. and abroad.

The USA will travel tomorrow to Istanbul, Turkey, where the 2010 FIBA World Championship will tip-off on Aug. 28 versus Croatia.

The 2010 FIBA (International Basketball Federation) World Championship for Men is being held Aug. 28-Sept. 12 in Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir and Kayseri, Turkey. Twenty-four teams will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Men and those teams were divided into four preliminary round groups consisting of six teams each. The United States is joined in preliminary round Group B by Brazil, Croatia, Iran, Slovenia and Tunisia.

The U.S. opens the ‘10 Worlds on Aug. 28 against Croatia, a team it has never faced in World Championship play, but a squad the USA is 3-0 versus in Olympic action. Facing its second European team in as many days, the Americans on Aug. 29 will meet Slovenia, a team it defeated 114-95 in 2006 World Championship preliminary play in their only prior World Championship meeting. FIBA Americas Zone champion Brazil will challenge the U.S. on Aug. 29. The USA-Brazil World Championship series stands at 6-5 in favor of the United States with the two teams’ last meeting in the 1998 World Championship. Following a day off on Aug. 31, the USA resumes play Sept. 1 against Asia Zone champ Iran, a team it has not faced previously in World Championship play, then closes out preliminary play with a contest versus Tunisia on Sept. 2, another team that the Americans have not met in World Championship action.


Additional Quotes >> USA 87, Greece 59
Aug. 25, 2010 • Athens, Greece


USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski (Duke University)
About the game:
We know it’s an exhibition game, Greece did not have its two big guys (Sofoklis Schortsanitas and Yiannis Bourousis) inside, but for us it was good to play another international game against a great country, a good atmosphere, and it just gives us more experience. We’re happy that we got a chance to play everyone and I think they played all their healthy players. The score is insignificant really because they didn’t have their complete team against us.

Were you pleased with the play of your guards and is there concern about you lack of big guys?
We were pleased with having the combinations we had on the court. We’re not a big team and they (Greece) hurt us inside and they probably would have hurt us inside more if they had their two other guys. That’s just something we’re going to have to overcome with our size and quickness.

What impressed you most and least with today’s game and do think the guys are ready to head to Istanbul?
I was happy with the amount of time everyone got. I thought we played hard and we looked at some different combinations at guard and how we rotated people in the second half. We keep trying to learn about ourselves and I think we’ll even do that through pool play. But we’re as ready as we can be going to Turkey and hopefully we’ll get better while we’re there.

You missed some free throws and had some turnovers, was that a concern for you even though you were in control of the game?
It’s a game and you’re going to miss shots and you’re going to make some mistakes, but as long as those mistakes or misses don’t have an impact in a negative way on the rest of your game. I was surprised when Chauncey missed a couple (of free throws) but then he hit a three right after so that was pretty good.

Closing Comment:
We’d like to thank you for your hospitality and for giving us the opportunity to play in great venue, and a great city. Even when I was not the national coach my love for Greece and Greece basketball is a very deep one. I have very good friends here. So thank you for the great treatment. I hope both of our teams will be healthy…and play well inTurkey. So thank you from our whole team.


Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets)
What changes now for you heading into Turkey?
Nothing. I’m going to tell the guys that of course now the games mean something. But at the same time we’re out here these last three games pouring our hearts out. We’re playing extremely hard. We’re going to play the same way. We’re going to play extremely hard, play together and try to come out victorious.

Between the first day of training in Las Vegas and now, what’s the signature moment for this team in your opinion?
I think the signature moment for this team is probably that first quarter against Spain. All this time we heard how we were nowhere near as good as Spain, Spain is going to crush us, and all that. We got off to a bad start in the Lithuania game, so everybody’s coming back out saying, ‘ah man, this team, whatever, whatever.’ We jumped on Spain and had a great quarter. Of course, as good as they are, they get back into the game. Even if we lose that game, I feel that with the way that we’ve played, came out with the energy and toughness that we showed and displayed, that’s who we are. That’s who we are as a team. That was a big time for us.

What are the coaches still most concerned about?
More than anything, I think it’s still rebounding the ball and going at a high level. Still knowing that we are a small team, rebounding and sometimes we get a little wacky and turn the ball over a little too much. Those are our main two concerns. But those are the things that we can get a little better control of after playing more and more together, knowing each other more.

On the Greek team:
Obviously they didn’t have the big fellow (Sofoklis Schortsanitas) playing, he’s a tough match-up with anybody. They weren’t the Greece that I’m sure we’ll see if we play them in Turkey. But at the same time, I’m sure they wanted to come out and win, playing on their home soil. We have a really competitive rivalry with that team as well, so they wanted to win. I thought we came out and play as hard as we could.


Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
What did coach K talk to you guys about at halftime?
Getting some more energy. We were up 10 and we wanted to use that opportunity to practice playing with a lead. We wanted to use our energy on defense to get some stops to make it easier on ourselves down the stretch. We had a little lapse at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but obviously in the second half we put on pressure and really executed.

Does your speed and athleticism tend to wear other teams down?
The fact that we can rotate so many guys in and not lose a step is definitely beneficial on defense when you’ve got guards who can push the ball full court. Teams that aren’t as deep will have to adjust to that. It’s going to definitely work to our advantage.

What is the hallmark of this team?
Our depth, our versatility and our speed. From top to bottom everybody can play and score the ball and I think we’re really defending well. We have our leaders, our go-to guys with K.D. and Derrick Rose, those kinds of guys who are definitely getting us going out of the gate. Then the back-up line-up coming in and not missing a step, I think we have everything covered.


Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)
On the evolution of the team since starting in Vegas:
We’re getting more comfortable, everybody is, since that first game against France. Now that we’re getting more comfortable, it’s starting to get easier playing with everybody. Derrick (Rose) got out to a great start. Everybody who started for us, Lamar, Chauncey, those two guys are veterans. When guys like them start to get more and more comfortable, more and more of your offense and defense come together. Everybody’s coming out and playing hard. I think that’s the best thing about it.

You missed a bunch of shots in the game, but you kept at it.
They just told me to be aggressive. I got good looks. I just wanted to make them. I think I got off to a better start in the second half. I think that regardless I was able to drive a little bit and take the shots I wanted to take. I was able to help my teammates out as far as rebounding, blocking shots and passing the basketball, so they kind of opened up for me.


Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks)
Looking forward to the team’s growth:
The thing we need to do is understand that we’re a group that’s just coming together so we have to improve game by game. We are competing against ourselves. We want to the best that we can be in this short period of time we are together.

On the defensive mindset of the team:
That’s how it’s going to be throughout the tournament. We are going to have to allow our defense to turn on the offense. We’re a scrappy, athletic team. We got to allow that to transition into offense.

On going into the tournament:
I’m excited that it’s finally here. I think we all were kind of like biting at the bit. We want to make sure and came and played this game and didn’t look forward to Turkey and look over Greece. I thought we did that and we came out and played a good game and now it’s time.


Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies)
On the game
It was a great game, playing against a great team. We just pressured them defensively and that really helped us out a lot.

On the defensive mindset of the team:
That’s our staple. That’s what we have to do every night in order to become the champions we want to become.

Looking forward to the tournament:
One more stepping stone. We passed the other tests and now we are just ready to get into it.

On pulling away in the fourth quarter:
We pressured them. The second team came on and we pressured them also and we really got into them defensively. Defense is going to win the game for us every time.

Is one of the hallmarks of this team the depth and athleticism that you have?
Yeah, we don’t want to relax on anything. I feel as though we’re just as good coming off the bench as we are starting. We proved that today. We know that we have to go out and we have to leave everything on the court. We know that the people who come off the bench are just as ready as the starters.

On the team’s growth from the first day of training to now:
It’s grown so much. We’ve gotten a lot better. We’ve gotten so much better. We know each other better. We know each other’s games better and it showed the way we came out here and played today.


Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers)
General comments on the game.
Well I’m just making open shots. Our team was in great rhythm and I basically scored off transition baskets, just hitting threes and just hitting easy layups.

Can you feel the team coming together and getting to know each other better on the court?
Most definitely. You know people are starting to know their roles and we’re just playing more together.

Is this a good way to finish up and head to Turkey; do you feel like the team is making progress?
Definitely. It’s going to be a challenge when we get there and we know we’ve got the talent to adjust to anybody so I think we’re well prepared.

The coaches have said improvement needs to be on going even in the tournament, would you agree?
Yes, definitely. As long as we have good energy throughout the whole next couple of weeks I think we’ll be fine.


Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers)
On the game
I think we did a really good job of trying to wear them down. Usually that’s our game plan … teams might be with us the first couple of minutes but we grind it out. Third quarter, we did a great job of … I think we held them to one field goal for a long time … we got on the break and finishing. We got our second unit in and they were able to get accustomed to each other as well. Things are starting to come together.

On the defensive mindset of the team?
We have to let our defense dictate our offense. Keep that mind set, get stops and we let the game do the talking.

On going into Turkey?
We are really excited to get started. We just want to go out there and win. I think we’re really hungry and we’re really excited to have the opportunity to play for the USA and we want to bring back home the gold.


Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves)
On the game
We just came out and played team ball. There were a couple spurts there where the runs really came back at us with their team. They had a good big man in there who had 17 in the first half. We definitely just wanted to slow down the pick and roll and come out there and keep playing our style of basketball.

Is this the kind of game you like, a physical one?
That’s what I love. It’s very physical over here … not saying the NBA isn’t, but I think I’m very well-suited for this type of play and I got a chance to show that tonight.

Thoughts going into Turkey?
Like Coach K said, we’re there now. We don’t have to look ahead or look forward to going there because we have an hour flight tomorrow … we get off the plane and we’re there. We’re going to have, I think, a tripleheader heading into Turkey. We’re very excited for it. Coming into Athens, we felt like we played well and hopefully we can steamroll into Turkey.


Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers)
Are you using the “B Team” talk as motivation?
Always. We love to compete. We’re professionals. One of the best things about playing sports is being competitive. When someone says you can’t, it makes you more motivated.

Do you think you can get better?
You can always get better individually and as a team. As a basketball player, basketball is a complete game, whether you’re shooting, passing, ball handling, free throws, shooting, you can always get better. You can get better as a team as well. What we want to do is be the best team in this upcoming tournament.

Have you gotten better as a team?
Just the exhibition games made us better. This is a great way to practice, especially against someone else. We’re really pushing each other and we’re looking forward to playing in Turkey.


Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
What did coach talk to you about at halftime?
Just to keep playing hard, don’t let them come back like Spain did after halftime.

Is it good to have a win like this under your belt heading into the World Championship?
Yeah, it gives us a lot of confidence. Knowing that we can put teams away a little bit. It was kind of hard at first, but I think we got into the groove of the game. We’ve got a lot of confidence and we trust in one another even more so that in tough situations, you know that you can win the game.

It’s bittersweet to have to lose a teammate who’s been with you for three weeks, but is it good to be down to the final 12 players?
Definitely. With the guys that we have, it shows you that we can win. I hope that we can continue to win, but even if we don’t we’re going to go out there and play as hard as we can.

Is the depth one of the hallmarks of this team?
Yeah, that’s our goal. When they first come out, they’ll be all excited and we’ll be pumped up. But I think that as long as the game goes, if we play very hard, we can wear them down with all our players.

On the game
We went out with a bang. We played well. At halftime, we just tried to come out play aggressive and not let them back in, like we did Spain. That’s something we’ve been working on and it’s coming along.

On winning the MVP:
That was fun. All of that stuff is great. Guys were playing with me and stuff like that. It’s something that I can tell my kids about when I get older. I’m happy to be here.

On the defensive mindset of the team:
Defense wins championships. Offense wins games. Right now, we’re trying to win a World Championship. We’re taking it one game at a time, playing hard and just trying to play together, have trust and confidence in each other.

Looking forward to the weekend?
I can’t wait. It’s going to be fun


Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)
On the game:
It was a fun game for us. Everybody played hard and played together. We came out with a good victory to lead us into Turkey.

Are you starting to figure out as a team the best ways to play together?
Definitely. We starting to play together, starting to play a lot better and starting to use each other a lot better.

How much are you looking forward to Turkey?
A lot. It’s going to be tough and it’s going to be a good experience for me and ourselves.

More on USA close win over Spain 86-85

Kevin Durant poured in 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had a pair of key blocks to end the game against Spain.

USA Men’s World Championship Team Edges Spain 86-85
Aug. 22, 2010 • Madrid, Spain


The 2010 USA Men’s World Championship Team fought through adversity, fended off a second half attack and edged host and defending world champion Spain 86-85 on Sunday night inside the Magic Box in Madrid, Spain. Playing in a raucous stadium filled to its 10,960 capacity, the USA’s charge was led by Player of the Game Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), who posted game-highs of 25 points and 10 boards, and also had a pair of key blocks in the closing seconds.



Also in double digits were Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls), who scored 13 points, including the game’s final two points from the line; Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers) notched 12 points and nine boards; and Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets) tossed in 10points.

“This is something I’m never going to forget … never,” said Rose. “I got to hit them,” he recalled about what he was thinking during his game-clinching free throws. “As your legacy goes on or the way you want your legacy to finally end, this is something that some people are going to remember.”

The U.S., now 3-0 in its three exhibition games, will travel to Athens tomorrow to prepare for its final exhibition game against Greece on Aug. 25 at 7:00 p.m. local (12:00 p.m. EDT live on ESPN).

“Great crowd, two excellent teams playing their hearts out and we felt fortunate to win. We made one more play then they did and that’s how good the game was,” said USA and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “We were trying to learn about our younger players so we started a different lineup.


“Before we talk about the outside (players), Lamar Odom should be our starting center. He’s finally into shape I think to play at this level. Curry has been out so we wanted to give him a chance and we already know what Rondo and Granger can do, and Love was out. The doctor wanted to keep him out because of hitting his head and because it’s back-to-back, so that was a precaution. That was our plan tonight, just to take a better look at our team.”

Trailing since the first basket of the game, Spain took its first lead of the night, 82-80, with under two minutes to play on a Felipe Reyes layup. Durant countered to knot the score 17 seconds later and after Ricky Rubio tossed the ball away the U.S. had a shot to pull ahead again, but Odom’s 3-pointer was off the mark and Spain had the ball back.

However Reyes missed his next attempt and Odom secured the rebound. With seven seconds left on the shot clock and 32.99 seconds to play in the game, Rose nailed a driving bucket and the U.S. was back in the lead, 84-82.

Following a Spanish time out, Juan Carlos Navarro was fouled driving to the hoop. He converted on the 3-point play to give his side the lead once again with 27.82 ticks on the clock.

Rose shook off a determined defensive effort by Rubio and was fouled as he drove to the basket. Ignoring the deafening roar of the crowd, he calmly stepped to the line and swished both his attempts with 16.92 to go.

“He made two big free throws and like I told him after the game, those were really big confidence-wise for him and the rest of the team to know that we got a guy we can go to down the stretch,” said Andre Igoudala (Philadelphia 76ers).

Spain again called time, which enabled the hosts to advance the ball to half court.

"We’ve practiced a lot with the zone and we used zone on all under out of bounds which were good. Then from the timeout Jim Boeheim said let’s go orange” said Krzyzewski on what the plan was out of the final time out. “We call it orange with respect for Jim, he said he doesn’t have any buildings named after him in Syracuse so we’ll name the zone after him. I agreed with him, but it was his suggestion and the guys did a good job with it.”

After inbounding the ball, the Spaniards moved the ball around and finally Rubio found room to attempt a 3-point attempt. However, there wasn’t enoughspace as Durant partially deflected the shot. The rebound was bobbled around and Spain came up with it, but Durant was again there to block Rudy Fernandez’ 3-point attempt and the clock expired with the U.S. collecting its third victory in as many exhibition games.

“I just wanted to cover a much ground as I could and help my teammates out,” said Durant about the game’s final possession. “I saw Ricky Rubio open in the corner and I just wanted to use my length to get out there and tip the shot. I was able to get a finger on it and I had the ball and it kind of slipped out of my hand and Rubio got it back and threw it to Fernandez and I just didn’t want to jump and get a foul on a 3-point shot so I stayed down and kind of timed it pretty well and I was fortunate enough to get a block and the game was over. I just wanted to do something to help my team win.”

The USA, which opened up a 16-3 gap to start the game, held a 45-33 lead at the midway break.

Spain charged out of the locker room and in addition to hitting 6-of-7 from the line, knocked down a couple of threes and in the span of almost five minutes, to close the gap to 55-53.

The U.S. came back to life. Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) scored to start the USA on 8-1 run that was capped by consecutive baskets from Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) that left the Americas holding a 63-54 lead. After a pair of Spain baskets, the Americans closed the third quarter’s final 1:05 with a 6-0 spurt to open a double-digit, 69-58, lead with 10 minutes to play.

Russell Westbrook scored 8 pts, 4 rbds, 1 assist, 1 steal in 12:59 min

Plagued by fouls most of the game, the U.S. picked up three quick ones in the first 1:12 of the fourth quarter. Trying to stay out of the bonus and keep Spain off the line, the USA’s defense sagged and Spain battled its way back into the game as the hosts outscored the red, white and blue 20-11 over the opening seven minutes in the fourth and then tied the game at 80-all with 2:37 to play.

The USA had a much better shooting night against Spain than Saturday night’s contest against Lithuania, hitting 48.5 percent (33-68 FGs) from the field, while holding Spain to 41.8 percent (28-67 FGs). However, the U.S., which owned the glass 39-27, sent Spain to the line for 29 attempts and the hosts converted on 24 (.828). In contrast, the American men made 14-of-18 from the line (.778).

Spain was led by Navarro’s 20 points, Marc Gasol had 17, Reyes tossed in 16 off the bench.

“It was a tough game. On their home court. We just fought through adversity and came out with a win,” said Westbrook.



“First off it was a fun game, one of those games that was a learning experience for us, coming over here and playing one of the best teams in the world,” stated Durant. “I think we made key plays down the stretch and we also played together as a team and stuck together through tough times. So it was a good test for us.”

The 2010 USA World Championship Team assistant coaches are Syracuse University’s Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan and Toronto Raptors head mentor Jay Triano.

All four of the USA’s pre-World Championship friendlies are part of the new Global Community Cup, which will include all USA Basketball exhibition games played outside of formal international competitions. Along with the games, the Global Community Cup features a social responsibility element that will highlight USA Basketball’s commitment to giving back to communities in the U.S. and abroad.

The official 12-man USA roster that will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, which will be played Aug. 28-Sept. 12 in Turkey, must be submitted to FIBA at the technical meeting that normally is held the day prior to the start of the competition.

Kevin Love Did Not Play (DNP)- Coach's Decision.

Boxscore

Photos

Additional Quotes >> USA 86, Spain 85
Aug. 22, 2010 • Madrid, Spain


USA head coach Mike Kryzyzewski
About the game:
Great crowd, two excellent teams playing their hearts out and we felt fortunate to win. We made one more play then they did and that’s how good the game was.

What have you learned between the game last night and today; and what did you think of some of your outside players like Rose, how they stepped up and were able to contribute?
We were trying to learn about our younger players so we started a different lineup. Before we talk about the outside, Lamar Odom should be our starting center. He’s finally into shape I think to play at this level. Curry has been out so we wanted to give him a chance and we already know what Rondo and Granger can do, and Love was out. The doctor wanted to keep him out because of hitting his head and because it’s back-to-back, so that was a precaution. That was our plan tonight, just to take a better look at our team.

Talk about what you saw from Ricky Rubio and him making the step to the NBA, if you see him making it easily; and also about why Rondo didn’t play so much.
(About Rondo and Granger not playing) Those are two veterans and young guys haven’t had a chance to start or whatever, so before we select our 12 we needed to give everyone a look.

Ricky I think would be a great pro guard. He’s big, he’s gotten bigger. He plays outstanding defense and because he’s a pass first guard he’s going to be liked by everybody who plays with him and he’s improved his shooting. He’s not afraid, he loves to play. I didn’t realize the last time we played against him was the Olympics and I think he’s grown, physically and little bit height wise. He has a great frame for the NBA.

Talk about going zone on the last possession and how international rules actually favor that type of strategy.
We’ve practiced a lot with the zone and we used zone on all under out of bounds which were good. Then from the timeout Jim Boeheim said let’s go orange, we call it orange with respect for Jim, he said he doesn’t have any buildings named after him in Syracuse so we’ll name the zone after him. I agreed with him, but it was his suggestion and the guys did a good job with it.

Closing Comment:
Our team has been treated fabulously in your beautiful country, and the people have been amazing with us and we want to say thank you for that.


Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets)
Thoughts coming in to the game with Spain:
It’s going to be war, it’s going to be a war. Although this was an exhibition game, that team is a machine and we knew that going in. We knew that going in and we just executed a great game plan.

What was the difference between last night and tonight?
We got off to a better start obviously. We put them on their heels early and they were just kind of fighting to get back in the game the rest of the way. Obviously, they got back in the game. We knew they would make a run and we just stayed together.

What did Coach say about defending them in their final possession?
I thought we mixed them up a little bit because we started man and changed it up into a zone. I thought that that kind of made them back pedal a bit. They couldn’t run their play obviously and KD came up with two unbelievable blocks.


Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
On the game:
I thought we played well. It was a definite challenge coming out to play Spain, a tough team playing in a home arena in front of their fans.

Definitely, happy to get the win and it was good for us to get this experience before we go to Turkey if we are going to try to win this thing.

Can Spain win the championship?
They are a very talented team. They’re very experienced as well. So, they have, I guess, an advantage going into it with having so many guys back and playing with each other for so long. Hopefully, we do what we want to do and get to the finals and hopefully meet them there and it will be a good game.

Thoughts on Spain?
Great team. Very experienced. You can tell that they have played with each other for a while in the international game. For us to come out here and try to compete with them, it was definitely a great experience for us. They’re going to be a tough team in Turkey. For us to have played against them, it was nice to get this experience before it really counts … I think we’ll meet them in the Round of 16 probably so this was really good for us.

Comparing Spain and USA:
They’re one of the favorites going in. They have a lot of expectations on them. A lot of people aren’t expecting as much out of us because we’re not the team that everybody saw in the Olympics. For us to come out here and play well like we did today and just go through a game and get some experience of how it’s going to be in Turkey, playing in hostile environments. That will make us a better team for when we get to Turkey.

What did you think of Ricky Rubio?
First time I saw him live. He’s very talented. If he ever came to the NBA, he would definitely make a great impact. He can see the floor … he can pass … he’s pretty fast with the ball. So, he can do a lot of things. For anybody that can handle the ball and pass like he does, a team is going to value that in the NBA. I was very impressed with him.

"Our team has been treated fabulously in your beautiful country, and the people have been amazing with us and we want to say thank you for that.." ~ Mike Krzyzewski


Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)
General comments on the game.
First off it was a fun game, one of those games that was a learning experience for us, coming over here and playing one of the best teams in the world. I think we made key plays down the stretch and we also played together as a team and stuck together through tough times. So it was a good test for us and I’m glad we moved past it.

What have you learned between the game last night and today?
It was very physical yesterday and something that was new to us. I think from yesterday to today we did a great job of handling that and guys took it to the basket and played strong the whole game. I think that was the biggest thing, we learned that it was a physical game and you have to continue to play through it.

Talk about what you saw from Ricky Rubio and him making the step to the NBA, if you see him making it easily.
I never really got to see Rubio play before and he impressed me a lot. Like coach said, he’s an amazing defender. I think that’s one thing that stood out to me is how well he pressured the ball and he disrupted our offense a little bit. He’s flashy, you know he’s crafty as well and the passes he threw tonight you know I was kind of amazed. I think for any rookie coming into the league there’s going to be an adjustment but I think he’ll be fine.

That last possession you had two blocks, could you see them maybe slow a step when you switched into the zone and talk about your blocks.
I just wanted to cover as much ground as I could and help my teammates out. I saw Ricky Rubio open in the corner and I just wanted to use my length to get out there and tip the shot and I was able to get a finger on it and I had the ball and it kind of slipped out of my hand and Rubio got it back and threw it to Fernandez and I just didn’t want to jump and get a foul on a three-point shot so I stayed down and kind of timed it pretty well and I was fortunate enough to get a block and the game was over. I just wanted to do something to help my team win.


Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers)
Thoughts on the game:
I think it was another tough game. We made our run and they came back. We kept our composure and then they took the lead, and we were still able to execute down the stretch. Kevin Durant was good and he was great on that last possession getting stops.

On the environment
It was pretty intense. Seemed like our backs were against the wall. Things weren’t going our way. We were able to play through that. That’s the best thing. We didn’t really let it alter the way we wanted to execute and it worked out for us.

On Derrick Rose at the end of the game
He made two big free throws and like I told him after the game, those were really big confidence-wise for him and the rest of the team … to know that we got a guy we can go to down the stretch.

What do you take from this game?
I think what we take from this game is that it’s a good win but we got to continue getting better. I don’t think we are satisfied yet. A lot of these teams have been playing together for a long time and they’re peaking or they’ve already peaked. But, we still haven’t got there yet so we have room for improvement and we’re just excited for Turkey.

How difficult is Spain to guard?
They have been playing for a long time together; they know each other. Everyone knows their go-to moves and how to set each other up. They got a bunch of old veteran players who are good as well as young players so they have a talented team.

What improvement have you seen in the last two games?
Defensively, we buckled down when we needed to and got stops so that’s good for us. Our halfcourt offense has been coming along well. I think just mentally we’ve gotten better the most as far as not panicking, settling down and doing what we need to do in key situations to get wins.


Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
Thoughts on the game?
Certain guys stepped towards the end of the game to make clutch plays at the end of the game, like KD, Chauncey everybody … like rebounding the ball, Lamar and Tyson were down there fighting. I guess we’re jelling a little bit right now.

On his winning free throws:
This is something I’m never going to forget … never. I’ll remember this as right now when I’m building up my legacy in this league. This is something I will never forget, some of the fans will never forget. My mom, my family, this is definitely a memorable moment right now.

What were the keys to the game?
Towards the end, just little plays. Coach K called the great defensive play where we went zone. We act like were in man and we went zone towards the end. And KD got the huge blocks. When stuff like that happens, it definitely helps us. There were other plays where we got steals and other plays like we were not passing the ball very well. But towards the end, I think we finished the game very well.

On Kevin Durant:
I tell him every game that he’s leading us. We’re following him. We are going to have to live and die with him. He came out and played well and you see the team followed him.

On the end of the game:
It was great just playing. The crowd was unbelievable. Playing against great players as a team … they’re a veteran team and know what they are doing out there. It was a great challenge and we should take this and run with it.

On switching to zone on the last possession I think they were going to do another clear out at the top of the key and we didn’t want that to happen. We knew they were going to get the call and Kevin Durant played some great defense at the end of the game.

How much did you relish playing against Rubio for the first time?
It was great. It was just a test. He’s a young player who played great. He really runs the offense very well, very good offensively. I think he should be ready for the NBA.

What was going through your head when shooting the free throws?
I got to hit them. As your legacy goes on or the way you want your legacy to finally end, this is something that some people are going to remember, or over here, people are going to remember me for this if they don’t see me playing any more over here. So, I know that they are going to remember all these memories.

On the play in which he scored on the go ahead layup:
It was made for me to play aggressive. Coach K and them told me to just push the ball and we’re going to do a high pick and roll – a drag – to where I could make an option, attack. If people are open, pass the ball and if not, try to get fouled.


Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)
On the game:
It was hard. It was a good experience for us. We came out and played hard.

What do you need to improve?
A lot. We did a good job of staying together and competing throughout the whole game. That was the key for us to come out with the win.

Was it easier playing Spain without Pau Gasol?
I don’t know. This was my first time playing against Spain with or without Pau so I wouldn’t know that.

Can you talk about the closeness of the game?
It was a tough game. On their home court. We just fought through adversity and came out with a win.

US barely gets by Spain on a Durant swat on Fernandez, US wins 86-85

United States Kevin Durant, dunks during a friendly basketball game against Spain in Madrid on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Arturo Rodriguez).

Kevin Durant leads US to 86-85 win over Spain
By PAUL LOGOTHETIS (AP) – 23 minutes ago

MADRID — Kevin Durant scored 25 points and made two crucial late blocks to help the United States beat Spain 86-85 on Sunday in a warmup game for the world championship.

A decision to go to a zone defense for the last play caught Spain off-guard and Durant blocked shots by Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez after Derrick Rose put the Americans ahead with two free throws.

"I just wanted to cover as much ground as I could and help my teammates," said Durant, who also had 10 rebounds. "I just didn't want to foul on a 3-pointer so I stayed down and, luckily, game over."

The United States rallied after Spain — 13 points behind after three quarters — took a one-point lead on Juan Carlos Navarro's three-point play with 27 seconds left.

Navarro scored 20 points in the first game between the teams since the Americans won the 2008 Olympic final. It was the first loss in nine games for Spain, the defending world champion. The world championship begin Saturday in Turkey.

Spain took the lead for the first time with 90 seconds to play. Rubio's stutter step into the lane drew attention and allowed the teen point guard to feed Felipe Reyes for an easy layup and an 82-80 lead.

But Durant answered before Rose got past Rubio and avoided Marc Gasol's block to score with a one-handed shot that put the U.S. up 84-82 with 33 seconds to play.

"We made one more play than they did and that's why we won," U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Rose finished with 13 points, and Lamar Odom had 12 points and nine rebounds for the U.S., while Rubio put on a strong performance with six assists. Marc Gasol had 17 points for Spain.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
_________

U.S. basketball team downs Spain 86-85 in warm-up thriller
By Mark Elkington
Sun Aug 22, 2010 6:55pm EDT

MADRID (Reuters) - The United States survived a spirited comeback from world champions Spain to win 86-85 in thrilling a warm-up game on Sunday, sending out a warning to their rivals ahead of the world championships.

The Olympic gold medalists have set out for Turkey with a side shorn of big names such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade who starred in Beijing.

But the young replacements showed their mettle in a hostile Madrid against a more experienced side, who narrowly lost out on gold in China.

Guard Kevin Durant led the way with game-high 25 points and eight rebounds, closely supported by Derrick Rose and Lamar Odom who sank 13 and 12 points apiece.

Juan Carlos Navarro topped the scoring for the hosts with 20 points backed by Marc Gasol and Felipe Reyes who notched 17 and 16 each.

"It was a great game and a great crowd. Two excellent teams who played to their max," U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewsky told reporters.

"Fortunately we had one more play than them. I feel lucky to have won. We started with a different line up and that was really what we wanted tonight, to take a better look at our players."

Spain perhaps missed the influence of Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol, who was watching from the stands after ruling himself out of the trip to Turkey.

The MVP from the last world championships was sitting just behind the world's most expensive soccer player, Portugal and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo in the packed arena.

AGGRESSIVE GAME

The U.S. labored past Lithuania 77-61 on Saturday, a side Spain swept aside 94-75 the day before, but they were much quicker into their game, aggressively closing down their hosts and preventing them from scoring until almost the five minute mark.

Durant and Rose spearheaded their charge to a 23-16 first period lead as Spain's passes were as wayward as their shooting, and the visitors extended the lead to 12 at the break.

Navarro took Spain to within two points at 55-53 midway through the third as the locals threatened a comeback, but Durant sank a breakaway at the end of the third to restore an 11-point advantage going into the final period.

Once again Spain came back though with Ricky Rubio and Navarro at the helm, the latter drawing them level at 80 apiece with two minutes to go.

But Rose held his nerve amidst a raucous local crowd to take the game from the free-throw line in the final seconds.

"This has been a great experience for us against one of the best teams in the world," game MVP Durrant told reporters.

"I'm pleased with my contribution... and the way the team stuck together."

The U.S. have one more tune-up game against Greece in Athens on Wednesday before the world championships get underway in Turkey on August 28.

(Writing by Mark Elkington; Editing by Dave Thompson)

Next for USA Basketball: Rubio, (Marc) Gasol, Calderon and the rest of the Spaniards

USA Basketball: Up Next: Spain

USABasketball.com
Aug. 22, 2010 • Madrid, Spain

Tip-Off: 9:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. EDT)
TV: Live on NBATV
rebroadcast on ESPN2 @ 11:00 p.m. EDT
Tickets: Sold Out

Spain will be a formidable opponent for the United States, which cannot afford another shooting half like they had yesterday. Not only is Spain the defending FIBA World Championship gold medalists, this country’s national team fell to the USA in a tough battle in the ’08 gold medal game, and their fans haven't forgotten. Plus, they’re playing at home. The noise factor in tonight’s game will be turned up a notch from last night and will likely even reach 11 at the Magic Box, which will make it extremely difficult for the U.S. squad to hear each other.

On Friday night in Madrid Spain took Lithuania 94-75 in an exhibition contest, led by Marc Gasol’s 18 points. In contrast to the USA’s first-quarter scoring output against Lithuania of seven points, Spain put up 24 in the first quarter alone and had a 20-point lead heading into the final stanza. In addition to Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro and Felipe Reyes each pitched in 13 points in the win.

USA-Spain: The Series History
The USA-Spain exhibition on Aug. 22 will be the first matchup between the two powers since the 2008 Olympic gold medal game that has been described as one of the greatest international games ever played. The USA fought off a determined Spain squad 118-107 to earn gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Two years earlier, while the U.S. finished third at the 2006 FIBA World Championship after being stopped by Greece (101-95) in the semifinals, the Spaniards defeated Greece 70-47 in the gold medal game to claim the World Championship title.

Spain, currently ranked No. 3 in the world by FIBA, won the 2009 EuroBasket title after easily defeating Serbia 85-63 in the championship game, captured the silver medal in Beijing at the 2008 Olympic Games, placed runner-up after being nipped 60-59 by Russia in the 2007 EuroBasket championship game and won gold at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan.

Since NBA players became eligible to participate in FIBA competitions, the USA has compiled a 5-1 win-loss record versus Spanish national teams in official FIBA competitions.

The only previous time a USA Basketball National Team comprised of NBA players met Spain in an exhibition game came in 2000 prior to the Sydney Olympic Games. The USA defeated Spain 95-66 in the opening game (9/5/2000) of the Super Dream Games 2000 in Saitama, Japan.

Official FIBA competitions
2008 Olympics (Gold Medal Game) 8/24/08 USA 118 Spain 107
2008 Olympics (Second Round) 8/16/08 USA 119 Spain 82
2004 Olympics (Quarterfinals) 8/26/04 USA 102 Spain 94
2002 World Championship (5th/6th Place) 9/07/02 Spain 81 USA 76
1994 World Championship (First Round) 8/04/94 USA 115 Spain 100
1992 Olympics (Preliminary Round) 8/02/92 USA 122 Spain 81
Exhibition Games Super Dream Games 2000 9/05/00 USA 95 Spain 66

Spain: The Scouting Report
USA Basketball Men’s National Team Director of International Player Personnel, Tony Ronzone will be providing the opponent scouting report before each game.
Spain is the most experienced and talented team in the tournament, along with Greece. Some of these guys have played together since 1999, they played in the FIBA Junior World Championship in Portugal and won the gold medal. Four of those guys still play on this team. It’s a very experienced team with NBA players like Rudy Fernandez, they have a future NBA player in Ricky Rubio, Marc Gasol from Memphis, Calderon from Toronto. They’re a very experienced team, they play very well together, they’re very unselfish. They move the basketball. They’re very difficult to guard. They never get rattled, they always play with confidence and they always expect to win. Again, their experience is going to be a factor for us because we’re very limited in our international experience. We have to make sure in transition that we find the shooters, especially Navarro. He’s an international legend over here with the way he plays. He always plays in the big games. They run the floor and we have to find their shooters quickly. Transition defense is going to be very important and we have to make sure we find people. We can’t stand around on defense.

Spain: The Quote Sheet
In addition to USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski, several players were queried last night after the game about tonight's battle against Spain.

USA head coach Mike Kryzyzewski
Looking ahead to Spain, specifically can I ask about Rubio, he seemed to be more physically developed that when you saw him last in China?
I’m really impressed with Ricky’s physical development. He’s gotten stronger. He has an amazing feel for the game. He’s getting older, you can tell he’s worked hard. I watched him last night against Lithuania and was very impressed with him being able to be physical, him being able to set his team up. He’s an outstanding guard and he’s just going to keep getting better and better.

Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets)
Do you think Spain will be a hard game for you?
Absolutely. Any game for us is hard. We’re still trying to get adjusted. We have a lot of guys who have no experience internationally. Tomorrow is going to be another great challenge for us. We’re playing against a well-oiled machine and we’ll be looking forward to the challenge.

Do you think tomorrow will be physical with Marc Gasol?
Oh yeah, it’ll be physical, very physical. They’re accustomed to this, this is their game. Our game is different. So they’re just going to play how they usually play and we have to change our game plan to play like them. It’s going to take some adjustment time, but we’re all in. We’ll be ready to go.

Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks)
Thoughts on playing Spain?
I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be big time, playing on their soil. We know their fans are going to be excited. We know their team is going to be excited playing in front of their home crowd. We couldn’t have scripted it any better for ourselves to go into the World Championship, into the tournament … having to play a tough team like Lithuania then Spain then Greece in Greece. Playing all these teams on their home soil is going to give us a different level of play from them and their energy than we’re going to face.

Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers)
Thoughts on playing Spain tomorrow?
It’s going to be another challenge. Hopefully, we’ll play a lot better in the first half.

Andre Igoudala (Philadelphia 76ers)
Looking forward to tomorrow’s game vs. Spain?
Very excited about tomorrow night. It should be fun.

Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
Thoughts on playing Spain tomorrow?
I can’t wait. The atmosphere once again is going to be crazy and it’s something I will never forget.

Russell Westbrook staves off elimination? Scores 12 in US' tough win over Lithuania 77-61

USA Men’s World Championship Team Battles Back Against Lithuania
USABasketball.com
Aug. 21, 2010 • Madrid, Spain


The 2010 USA Men’s World Championship Team overcame icy cold shooting in the first half, but never gave up and rebounded in the second half to earn a tough 77-61 victory over Lithuania on Saturday night inside the Magic Box in Madrid, Spain. Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder) led all scorers on the night with 15 points, while Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies) and Player of the Game Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) checked in for 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Player of the Game Russell Westbrook not only pitched in 12 points, he added some defensive intensity off the bench.Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

The U.S. will face defending world champion Spain tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. local (3:00 p.m. EDT live on ESPNU with a rebroadcast on ESPN2 at 11:00 p.m. EDT), before heading to Athens for its final exhibition game against Greece on Aug. 25 at 7:00 p.m. local (12:00 p.m. EDT live on ESPN).

“For us it was an outstanding test because most of our guys have not played internationally on foreign soil and to get adjusted to the game, they’re going to need to play at a higher level, it was just a good experience for us,” said USA and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “Lithuania with its rich basketball tradition, they play with great pride. We had a first quarter where we were 3-for-21 and hopefully we’ll not have anything like that again. But I thought our guys fought and played really well in the second half so it’s part of the adjustment, it’s our second game, our first overseas, so we have a lot to learn before Turkey.”

Coach K's post-game team talk


Three minutes into the third quarter Durant hit a turnaround jumper to give the American men their first lead of the game, 36-34. From there the lead swapped hands seven times and with 2:44 to go in the third, Lithuania was back in the lead by a point, 49-48.

Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers) drove to the hoop to give the U.S. the lead for good, 50-49, at 2:29, but it was a play involving a fast-breaking Gay 20 seconds later that really turned the tide. After Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics) disrupted a shot by Lithuania, the U.S. got the ball and Gay was streaking down the court when he was intentionally fouled by Mantas Kalnietis. In the confusion that ensued, Linas Kleiza was called for a technical. Gay sunk both his free throw tries and then Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers) stepped up to take the two for the tech and swished in both of his tries to push the USA advantage to 54-49.

“That helped us a lot,” said Gay. “Those four straight foul shots really got us into position where we can play and be the aggressor.”

Granger’s basket and the four free throws were the start of a game-deciding 17-0 run that was capped by a Westbrook layup that left the U.S. in control 65-49. The USA held Lithuania to a single free throw over a span of 7:25 as the USA’s opponents finally knocked down a three with 5:19 to play.

“I think the key for me and the rest of the team is coming out and having a defensive mindset and I think that was a key for me, just coming out and defending,” said Westbrook, who knocked down 4-of-5 from the field and hit both of his 3-point attempts. “I think if we defend our offense will take care of itself, we’ll be able to get into the lane and kick it out for open shots. I was just able when they kicked it out to knock down some shots, then try and get into the lane and get everybody else some shots as well.”

The Americans went up by as many as 20 points, 75-55, before cruising through the final minutes for the win.

“Our team did not push the ball in the first quarter,” said Krzyzewski. “When we got Derrick (Rose) in and Russell (Westbrook), the tempo of the game picked up for us. We were playing a very slow tempo and if we do that then we’re not going to have a chance to win. We have to play a little bit faster tempo. Then in the second half I thought Rajon did a good job of doing it. So our bench came through for us – Gordon, Westbrook, Rose, Rudy Gay, they all played very well coming off the bench.

"It’s a good thing our defense was pretty good throughout the whole game or else we could have been down big in the first half,” he added.

Shooting a frigid 14.3 percent (3-21 FGs) in the first quarter, the U.S. defense helped keep Lithuania within striking distance, 15-7. Trailing 19-10, the Europeans’ largest lead of the game, with 6:16 to play in the half, the American men got its first three of the night from Andre Igoudala (Philadelphia 76ers) at 6:05. That got the team going as it ended the first half on an 18-10 run and trailed by just a point, 29-28, heading into the locker room. The U.S. upped its shooting percentage overall in the first half to 28.6 percent (10-35 FGs) after hitting 7-of-14 from the field in the second stanza.

“No. No, it couldn’t have gone any worse in the first quarter,” said Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets), who went 1-of-4 from the line and 0-of-3 from 3-point in the first half. “After I missed my third free throw in a row, I just started laughing. Like, ‘whoa, are you serious?’ But it was a great test. We had to fight through some things. We dealt with some adversity today. I’m pretty sure the coaches learned more about the team today. There will be some times like that where we just can’t get it going. The key is going to be that we have to not let the other team get it going.

The U.S. ended the game shooting 40.3 percent (27-67 FGs) from the field and 36.8 percent (7-19 3pt FGs) from beyond the arc and outrebounded Lithuania 40-33. The USA’s defense held Lithuania to just under 40 percent (25-63 FGs) from the field and 23.1 percent (3-13 3pt FGs) from 3-point, while forcing 21 turnovers and getting 15 steals.

The 2010 USA World Championship Team assistant coaches are Syracuse University’s Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan and Toronto Raptors head mentor Jay Triano.

The 13 finalists for the 2010 USA World Championship Team are scheduled to play Spain at the Magic Box tomorrow night before traveling to Athens on Aug. 23. The USA will close out its four-game exhibition schedule against Greece in Athens on Aug. 25.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks) regarding tomorrow night’s game. “It’s going to be big time, playing on their soil. We know their fans are going to be excited. We know their team is going to be excited playing in front of their home crowd. We couldn’t have scripted it any better for ourselves to go into the World Championship, into the tournament … having to play a tough team like Lithuania then Spain then Greece in Greece. Playing all these teams on their home soil is going to give us a different level of play from them and their energy than we’re going to face.”

All four of the USA’s friendlies are part of the new Global Community Cup, which will include all USA Basketball exhibition games played outside of formal international competitions. Along with the games, the Global Community Cup features a social responsibility element that will highlight USA Basketball’s commitment to giving back to communities in the U.S. and abroad.

The official 12-man USA roster that will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, which will be played Aug. 28-Sept. 12 in Turkey, must be submitted to FIBA at the technical meeting that normally is held the day prior to the start of the competition.

Kevin Love played 3 min for 2 pts.

Boxscore

Photos


Additional Quotes >> USA 77, Lithuania 61
Aug. 21, 2010 • Madrid, Spain

USA head coach Mike Kryzyzewski
About the game:
For us it was an outstanding test because most of our guys have not played internationally on foreign soil and to get adjusted to the game that they’re going to need to play at a higher level, it was just a good experience for us. Lithuania with its rich basketball tradition, they play with great pride. We had a first quarter where we were 3-for-21 and hopefully we’ll not have anything like that again. But I thought our guys fought and played really well in the second half so it’s part of the adjustment, it’s our second game, our first overseas, so we have a lot to learn before Turkey.

When you made the change from Rondo to Rose gave more options to players in the game:
Well I think it wasn’t just Rondo, I think our team did not push the ball in the first quarter. When we got Derrick (Rose) in and Russell (Westbrook), the tempo of the game picked up for us. We were playing a very slow tempo and if we do that then we’re not going to have a chance to win. We have to play a little bit faster tempo. Then in the second half I thought Rajon did a good job of doing it. So our bench came through for us – Gordon, Westbrook, Rose, Rudy Gay, they all played very well coming off the bench.

Looking at that first half from a teaching perspective and a learning experience for the players, what good can come out of that?
I think it’s one of the those experiences when you’re going through it you don’t want to be going through it, but after you go through it, it’d a good thing to go through it. First of all, the environment. It’s just a different environment, the international game. Just how you warm up. I don’t think we warmed up as hard as we need to warm up, and we didn’t start off the game fast. These are all learning things. These guys are really good players but Lithuania was more ready at the start of the game. It’s a good thing our defense was pretty good throughout the whole game or else we could have been down big in the first half. It reminded me of Beijing and whenever we let a team get close we didn’t convert in transition, whether it be a blocked shot, missed dunk, a fumbled ball, those give life to a team and we have to cut down on those type of things. There are about 30 less possessions in a 40 minute game than a 48 minute game; we have to adjust to that.

The team’s quickness seemed to be a big advantage, Westbrook showed that when he came in. Can you elaborate on that and how that took over the game?
He gave us energy. He’s been doing that in practice every day. His energy, along with Rose, Gordon and Gay really picked us up. We need to have that energy at the start of the ball game I think we’re feeling our way into the ball game, we have to start off strong.

Looking ahead to Spain, specifically can I ask about Rubio, he seemed to be more physically developed that when you saw him last in China?
I’m really impressed with Ricky’s physical development. He’s gotten stronger. He has an amazing feel for the game. He’s getting older, you can tell he’s worked hard. I watched him last night against Lithuania and was very impressed with him being able to be physical, him being able to set his team up. He’s an outstanding guard and he’s just going to keep getting better and better.

Talk about the difficulty of hitting shots in the first quarter. Do you think it was because the court was pretty slippery?
I wouldn’t make an excuse that we shot poorly because of the court. I thought we were a little tight, they (Lithuania) played well defensively, and then they’re accustomed to getting more shots in a game. So the fact is on this team there’s 40 minutes instead of 48 and you’re on a team that has 12 good players, you’re not going to get as many shots so it makes each shot a little bit more important.

We were just having trouble shooting the ball but for the most part, our defense was outstanding.

~ Danny Granger

You said that perhaps the best thing tonight of your team was defense, what do you think you have to improve as a team and what was the worst thing you did tonight as a team?
We have to improve on everything. We’ve only been together a couple of week and this is our second exhibition game, so everything. We have to keep improving in every area as a team including getting to know one another. These guys have not played together year after year so there’s not that continuity or the chemistry. There’s the attitude, a great attitude to try and do that but they have to get as good feel for one another. That’s why games like this are so important and the game tomorrow is so important.

Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Russ, a lot of people had you on the list to be cut, talk about if it’s gratifying to have a performance like this when you’re fighting for a job on this team.
Well I try to guard every night and I try not to pay attention with what’s going on with the cuts, who’s getting cut, how many minutes you’re playing. Coach K has asked me to just go out and play hard and give it all I’ve got. That’s what I’ve been trying to do for the time I’ve been here in Madrid, New York and Las Vegas.

What was the key to the game?
First of all I think the key for me and the rest of the team is coming out and having a defensive mindset and I think that was a key for me, just coming out and defending. I think if we defend our offense will take care of itself, we’ll be able to get into the lane and kick it out for open shots. I was just able when they kicked it out to knock down some shots, then try and get into the lane and get everybody else some shots as well.

Could you feel the energy change when you went in and you played good defense?
Definitely, that was a key. My main objective coming into a game is picking the energy up, picking up the speed of the game and try to create defensive stops that lead to offensive opportunities. If the team does that it puts us in a better position to be able to score the ball and get out and get out and run.

How good it feel to hit your shots?
It definitely feels good. It felt good to knock them down and be able to feel confident and relax everybody and make sure they get easy shots and open shots.

Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets)
Do you think Spain will be a hard game for you?
Absolutely. Any game for us is hard. We’re still trying to get adjusted. We have a lot of guys who have no experience internationally. Tomorrow is going to be another great challenge for us. We’re playing against a well-oiled machine and we’ll be looking forward to the challenge.

Do you see any differences in the game between the international rules and NBA?
There are some very glaring differences. For one, the physicality of the game is different. It’s much different. Personally, I like that. There’s just a difference in the little calls that they call in the NBA, where here they are no calls. We have to get our guys to just play through it, be physical and be strong. If we do that, we’ve got a good chance.

Do you think tomorrow will be physical with Marc Gasol?
Oh yeah, it’ll be physical, very physical. They’re accustomed to this, this is their game. Our game is different. So they’re just going to play how they usually play and we have to change our game plan to play like them. It’s going to take some adjustment time, but we’re all in. We’ll be ready to go.

Could it have gone any worse in the first quarter?
No. No, it couldn’t. After I missed my third free throw in a row, I just started laughing. Like, ‘woah, are you serious?’ But it was a great test. We had to fight through some things. We dealt with some adversity today. I’m pretty sure the coaches learned more about the team today. There will be some times like that where we just can’t get it going. The key is going to be that we have to not let the other team get it going.

Your up-tempo seemed to change the game and really overwhelm them. Do you think that was the case?
That’s going to be our strength: speed, transition, causing turnovers. Then getting out and getting some easy baskets.

Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks)
Thoughts on the game?
I thought it was a good game for us. We faced some adversity early. These are how the games are going to be played. They’re going to be played physical. It took us some time to adjust to that. But, it’s a good thing we have the opportunity to play these three exhibition games before we get into the tournament.

Anything that surprised you about the game?
We are use to our game, our style of play, our calls. I think a lot of times, we were stopping. Not only that, but defensively for us, it’s different in our game. You kind of play as the ball comes towards you. Here you got to be ready when the ball is on the other side of floor before it’s even in your area, you already have to be ready defensively.

Happy with the defense tonight?
Definitely. I think had we hit some shots, made some layups, made some free throws, it would have been a bigger margin. But, I’m kind of glad the way it went because we had like seven points and were 3-for-20 or whatever in the first quarter. You need that. You need to be able to get through that adversity. The defense stepped up and we kind of walked them down.

Thoughts on Russell Westbrook’s performance?
He was huge. He turned the game around for us. We are going to need that every single night though. Some different individual is going to need to step up every night … to give us that spark and we have it. We have enough talent for somebody to come off the bench or a starter to just be able to give us that spark and that energy.

Thoughts on playing Spain?
I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be big time, playing on their soil. We know their fans are going to be excited. We know their team is going to be excited playing in front of their home crowd. We couldn’t have scripted it any better for ourselves to go into the World Championship, into the tournament … having to play a tough team like Lithuania then Spain then Greece in Greece. Playing all these teams on their home soil is going to give us a different level of play from them and their energy than we’re going to face.

Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)
On the physicality of the game:
We played through it today and I think we’ll be prepared for tomorrow. It was a tough start for us, but I’m glad we finished the game off well.

On his game:
I just gotta keep working, continue to keep doing better and staying positive no matter what.

Do you think the team has improved since you played France?
Yeah, we have. We’ve been practicing hard. It didn’t show tonight in the first half, but in the second half we fought through some adversity after missing a lot of shots. Overall we did it decent.

Was the first quarter good for you in terms of learning the international game?
Oh yeah. It’s why we’re playing these exhibition games, to get you ready for that. It’s a little different, more physical. They kind of hit us in the mouth early on, but we got used to it. I think I did better. I think it’s just a matter of me being aggressive and staying positive.

Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies)
On entering the game and changing the tempo of the game:
Coming off the bench, it’s kind of your job. You have to get to be that person where when they come off, you can’t let anything lapse. You can’t lack anything. I try to go out there to force the tempo and try to force the other team to play our game.

Did your teammates tease you about that missed dunk?
Oh yeah (laughs). It was humid in there. I wasn’t the only one slipping, it’s just that I happened to be by myself when it happened.

Was the ball slippery?
It was an adjustment for us. The climate is very different than what we’re used to. We went out there and had to adjust. We played bad in the first half, but that was one of the things we had to adjust to in the first half.

Do you think the international game is tougher than the NBA?
I wouldn’t say it’s tougher, I would say it’s different. Obviously you could see the difference between the NBA and Europe. You just have to get use to it. I think we can adjust, it was just an eye-opening experience for us.

On the momentum swing with the technical and intentional fouls:
Yeah. We needed anything. In these games you have to feed off of whatever you can and that’s one of those things that we fed off of. I thought Russ (Westbrook) came in and really helped us out in the second half. We forced the tempo. That helped us a lot. Those four straight foul shots really got us into position where we can play and be the aggressor.

They were getting a lot of easy baskets, but we’re professionals, too. We knew what we were doing wrong and we had to stop that. We made their shots tougher. We defended better and we came out with the win.

On his consistency with the USA Team:
Before you come out here, one of the things you have to do is that you can’t worry about … you don’t know what sets you’re going to run. You don’t know what’s going to go on and you really don’t know if you’re going to make it. I had to make it my point to myself to be in the best shape and try to do all the things that I need to do and I made the best of it.

Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers)
Thoughts on the game?
I think we just got off to a slow start as a team. We finished well but we can’t have starts like that. But, I think it was good for us to learn … that was the first time we were playing internationally overseas. It was a good experience for us.

Was the feel of the game different that you expected?
Very different. They let a lot more go than usually goes on in the NBA. So it’s an adjustment we have to get used to.

Thoughts on the team defense?
Defense was pretty good. We were just having trouble shooting the ball but for the most part, our defense was outstanding.

Thoughts on playing Spain tomorrow?
It’s going to be another challenge. Hopefully, we’ll play a lot better in the first half.

Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers)
Thoughts on the game?
I think it was good for us to have some adversity and see how we respond to it. We didn’t panic. Usually you panic and the other team builds the lead. We cut it down little by little which is how we need to play. We try to wear them out a little bit. Russell Westbrook was great for us tonight. He came in and set the tone for us with energy and from there we took off. So it was a good win.

Was there anything that surprised you about the game?
It was a little physical. They let those guys play so we got to know we have to win playing their game. It makes us focus in a little bit more.

Thoughts on the team defense?
We just have to communicate as a team. Individually I feel comfortable out there and shutting down the guys. In order for us to win, we have to be good defensively collectively. We got to communicate.

Looking forward to tomorrow’s game vs. Spain?
Very excited about tomorrow night. It should be fun.

Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers)
What did USA head Mike Krzyzewski talk to you about at halftime?
He didn’t really say much, I really don’t think there was much to say. We have to learn how to stay poised. All families have to work through adversity, even our family. Especially families that haven’t been together for a long time. It was a good test for us. It’s good for us to play competitive basketball right now in these exhibition games before the tournament to kind of get us ready for the competition and atmosphere that we’re about to face. It’s just learning.

On being down by just a point after shooting less than 29 percent in the first half:
Sometimes you press and you try to get it all back in one play. Basketball is a snowball effect a lot. You take your time and get one stop, then you’ll get a layup, then you’ll get a free throw and people start to make shots and so on and so on. But when you try to get it back on one play, it hardly ever works.

Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
Thoughts on the game?
It was a different game. The atmosphere is totally different. It challenged us especially early in the game. We know that we can still come together and win games. It was a great challenge for us tonight going out there having to come back from a large lead and win the game. This definitely can help us and it’s going to prepare us for the journey.

Is this a good lesson that defense can keep you in games even when you’re not making shots?
That’s what we’re trying to do. We got so many great players on the team where we are making the game harder than what it really is. Offensively, we’re trying to play to each other’s strengths but this is our first month, first couple of months playing with each other … it’s hard but I think we are going to get in a groove and it’s going to be hard trying to stop us.

Thoughts on playing Spain tomorrow?
I can’t wait. The atmosphere once again is going to be crazy and it’s something I will never forget.