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Team USA is halfway through its first preliminary round game against Croatia, and it would be difficult to ask for a better first half. USA leads Croatia by a 48-26 score going into the locker room.
Croatia actually managed to lead 19-18 at one point, but Team USA responded with a 30-7 run to take a dominating lead. Unsurprisingly, the player of the game so far is Kevin Durant, who has nine points and six rebounds so far. Durant, the biggest NBA star to appear in the tournament, was dominant during last week's game against Spain.
Here are Team USA's top scorers so far on Saturday:
Kevin Durant: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Derrick Rose: 9 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists
Chauncey Billups: 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Russell Westbrook: 7 points, 2 steals
Lamar Odom: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Eric Gordon: 6 points
Stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates. And be sure to check out the game discussion happening among fans at our Lakers blog, Silver Screen and Roll.
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, which is now in the preliminary stage of the tournament, features 24 teams from around the world. A brief crash course: in the preliminary stage, the teams are divided into four groups of six teams. Each team plays five games, one against every other member of the group, and the group's top four finishers advance to the knockout stage. In other words, it's a tournament structure similar to that of soccer's World Cup.
The United States is in Group B, along with Slovenia, Tunisia, Brazil, Croatia, and Iran. Team USA plays its first preliminary match on Saturday against Croatia, the team it defeated in the gold medal game of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Here is Team USA's roster:
C Tyson Chandler
G Chauncey Billups
G Derrick Rose
G Russell Westbrook
G Andre Iguodala
G Stephen Curry
G Eric Gordon
F Kevin Durant
F Rudy Gay
F Danny Granger
F Kevin Love
F Lamar Odom
The game, which tipped off at 12:00 Eastern, can be seen on ESPN Classic and, if your internet service provider offers it, ESPN3. Stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
Scoreboard data copyright © 2012 by STATS LLC. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.
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Odds Shark 
FIBA World Championship 2010: USA Makes Short Work Of Croatia, 106-78
On Saturday, Team USA overcame a relatively slow start to cruise past Croatia, 106-78, in their first preliminary game of the 2010 FIBA World Championship. This was a rematch of the 1992 Olympic gold medal game, which, of course, the Dream Team won to capture the gold.
Croatia took a 19-18 lead in the first half, but Kevin Durant and company responded with a run that game them a 48-26 lead at halftime. Durant was the game's top scorer, but Team USA spread the ball around pretty evenly. Here are game stats from USA's top scorers:
Kevin Durant: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Eric Gordon: 13 points, 1 steal
Chauncey Billups: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Russell Westbrook: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists
Rudy Gay: 10 points, 4 rebounds
With this win, Team USA is now 1-0 in Group B standings, which places them at the top alongside Slovenia. At 2:30 P.M. Eastern, Group B action will continue when Brazil plays Iran.
Here are Team USA's remaining Group B games:
Sunday, August 29: Slovenia
Monday, August 30: Brazil
Tuesday, September 1: Iran
Wednesday, September 2: Tunisia
Aug 28 1:57p by Jon Bois - 0 comments