US off to hot start, routs France in opener
LONDON
(AP) — The shrill of whistles came fast and furious.
For
a stretch in the first half, it seemed the US Olympic men's basketball
team was having more trouble with the referees than with France.
"There
were calls being called that didn't seem right," said forward Carmelo
Anthony. "One time down the floor they called it this way, and one time
they called it that way."
This squad of Americans will have to
make some adjustments as the competition continues, but Sunday they
overcame their own sloppiness, the refs and a sluggish start to beat
France 98-71 in their tournament opener.
Kevin Durant scored 22
points in his Olympic debut, Kevin Love had 14 and LeBron James added
nine points, five rebounds and eight assists.
As openers go, the US wasn't dreamy, but still dominant.
The
US only led by one point after the first quarter but outscored a France
team featuring Tony Parker and five other NBA players 76-50 over the
final three periods.
"We got stops and made shots," Durant said, explaining the turning point. "Simple enough."
If it was only that easy.
The
Americans became flustered in the first half when they whistled for 18
fouls, some of them on silly reach-ins. As they left the court leading
by 16 at halftime, the US players reminded each other that they would
have to play much smarter if they intend to win gold medals.
"Our
mindset is that from here on out that's how it's going to be
officiated," said Anthony, who didn't start and then was forced to the
bench in the first half after picking up his third personal.
Durant said he and his teammates let some of the calls affect their play. Not again.
"It's
tough, but we know now," he said. "We can't worry about the refs and
just play our game. Guys played hard even though there were some calls
that didn't go our way. That's the name of the game. We just gotta keep
playing through it."
Seeking a second straight gold to match the
redemptive one they captured in Beijing four years ago, the Americans
expected a tough test from the French. They got enough of one to keep
coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff busy and this superstar-laden squad
from feeling too comfortable.
"It wasn't perfect," said James,
who only took six shots while setting up his teammates. "We've still got
room for improvement. We had too many turnovers, too many fouls and we
had a couple of defensive rebounds we could have come up with. But
overall, we played a pretty good game for as close to 40 minutes as
possible."
Parker, who wore goggles to protect his left eye which
was injured by broken glass during a nightclub brawl in New York,
didn't want to concede anything to the Americans.
But when asked if the US team can be beaten, San Antonio's All-Star guard took a contemplative pause before responding.
"They're going to be very, very tough to beat," Parker said.
At
times, the Americans' offense was erratic. The US missed its first six
3-pointers and settled too quickly for jump shots instead of driving to
the basket. But France wasn't able to capitalize as the U.S. turned up
its defensive pressure and forced 18 turnovers.
With first lady
Michelle Obama on hand to cheer on the US, Durant, Anthony and Tyson
Chandler added nine rebounds apiece for the Americans, who will next
play Tuesday against Tunisia.
As they left the floor, the US
players stopped to hug Mrs. Obama, who can report back to her commander
in chief husband that his favorite team has taken its first step toward
gold.
With the US leading 52-36 at halftime, Durant opened the
second half with a 3-pointer, Bryant dropped one from long range and
after James dunked an alley-oop pass from Deron Williams, the Americans
led 64-43.