SEOUL, South Korea -- With Carmelo Anthony back at full strength, the United States had little trouble with Lithuania.
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Anthony, who hyperextended his knee and left in the second quarter of a 90-86 win over Brazil last week, scored 19 points Sunday as the United States cruised to a 111-88 victory over Lithuania in a tuneup for the world championships.
Anthony set the tone early with a slam dunk in the opening minutes that drew a huge ovation from the crowd, and LeBron James closed out the first half with a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to give the U.S. a 56-32 lead at the break.
Dwyane Wade added 14 points as the United States improved to 4-0 in exhibition games leading up to the 2006 FIBA World Championships.
Using a sensational effort on offense and defense, the Americans overwhelmed the Lithuanians and took a 28-point lead after the third quarter.
"Our game plan was to just keep the ball moving," said Anthony, who leads the U.S. in scoring over four exhibition games. "We know we can score from just about anywhere so we don't have to wait for a fantastic shot."
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LeBron James scores 13 against Lithuania, one of seven U.S. players to hit double figures. (AP) |
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Early in the final quarter, James brought the crowd to its feet with a one-handed dunk that made it 87-55. The Cleveland Cavaliers star gave the Americans a whopping 108-78 advantage with another massive jam with two minutes left.
It was a balanced effort on offense with seven players scoring 10 points or more. James had 13 and the United States also got big contributions from Joe Johnson (12), Kirk Hinrich (10), Antawn Jamison (13) and Chris Paul (10).
After one more exhibition game against South Korea on Tuesday, the U.S. will head to Sapporo, Japan, for its opening game of the championships on Aug. 19 against Puerto Rico.
"I thought we played very good defense," said U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski. "Lithuania is a strong team and we were able to take them out defensively. I think we got better today by playing an outstanding team."
Wade, who had 10 points in the first quarter, hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the U.S. a 25-9 lead midway through the first period.
Anthony, Shane Battier, Elton Brand, Hinrich and Wade started for the U.S. team.
Lithuania outscored the U.S. 35-30 in the fourth quarter but by then it was too late. Kristov Lavrinovic led his team with 26 points.
The United States defeated Lithuania 104-96 at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Lithuania, fourth in the FIBA rankings, didn't look like the medal contender many expect them to be in Japan.
It was an impressive performance for an American team that is quickly adjusting to the wider lanes of international play. The United States finished sixth at the worlds in 2002 and third in 1998. The last time the Americans won the tournament was 1994.
The U.S. team brought 14 players to Asia. The roster must be reduced to 12 before the start of the world championships.
AP NEWS
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