The Hindu : Sport : U.S. beats Germany

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Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
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U.S. beats Germany

BEIJING: The United States beat Germany 106-57 on Monday in men’s Olympic basketball, advancing to the medal round and a potential tough game against Australia.

Dwight Howard scored 22 points and LeBron James had 18, 16 in the first half, as the United States completed an undefeated march through pool play.

Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks all-star, scored 14 points for Germany (1-4), which completed a disappointing Olympics. The Germans looked like contenders in a 95-66 rout of Angola in their opener, but then dropped four straight. The Americans, 5-0, led by only seven points midway through the fourth quarter of an 87-76 exhibition victory in Shanghai over Australia two weeks ago. And the Australians were playing without starting center Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks, who was resting a sore right ankle. Vasileios Spanoulis and Ioannis Bourousis each scored 19 points to lead Greece to a 91-77 victory over China. Antonios Fotsis added 17 points for Greece (3-2).

Yao Ming, who didn’t score a basket until late in the second quarter, led China (2-3) with 18 points. The game completed the brackets for the medal rounds. The U.S., winner of Group B, will face the winner of Argentina-Greece in the semifinals if it beats Australia on Wednesday.

In the other bracket, Group A winner Lithuania meets China, and Spain faces Croatia, with the winners advancing to the semifinals.

Greece wins

A determined Greece defeated a feisty Yao Ming-led China 91-77 on inspired play from Vasilieios Spanoulis who had 19 points and four assists.

With the loss, China will face Lithuania in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, while the Greeks meet reigning Olympic champion Argentina.

Despite falling behind by 24 points in the first half, China came back to get within 10 points with three minutes left, but could not overcome the inside play of Ioannes Bourousis who netted 19 points and nine rebounds for Greece.

Spanoulis and his back court mate Dimitrios Diamantidis repeatedly picked the ball from the Chinese guards leading to easy baskets for the defending Olympic silver medallists. In the second half, China began hitting their three point shots and pulled within 58-48 and 75-65, before the experienced Greeks slowed the tempo and regained control of the game. Spanoulis scored 11 points in the first period to help Greece open up its commanding lead. Forward Antonios Fotsis also had 17 points for the winner.

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