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USA | 100 | Final | 78 | Spain |  |
STARTERS
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Chris Paul, G 2-4 FG | 1-1 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 3 AST | 5 PTS Another underwhelming performance by CP3. How can the greatest point guard on the planet be rendered ineffective by teams with inferior talent? Methinks the excessive hand-checking allowed in the international game may have something to do with it. |
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Kobe Bryant, G 2-3 FG | 0-0 3PT | 2-2 FT | 2 REB | 4 AST | 6 PTS I never thought I'd see Kobe fade into the background offensively, but on this team, it's probably for the best. He didn't play poorly — he seemed to relish guarding Navarro and he made the few shots he took — but he wasn't spectacular either. A solid outing. |
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Kevin Durant, F 5-8 FG | 2-3 3PT | 1-2 FT | 8 REB | 2 AST | 13 PTS With LeBron and Melo both rolling, Durant was relegated to third-wheel status — and he responded by scoring efficiently on his limited chances and hitting the glass. He won't score 25 every game, so it was good to see him make the most of a supporting role. |
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LeBron James, F 10-15 FG | 3-5 3PT | 2-2 FT | 3 REB | 7 AST | 25 PTS LeBron James is so good at basketball. I don't care where the game is played or what the rules are, he will never not be awesome. When Melo cooled off after half, LeBron took over the game and dominated it in every way possible. A virtuoso performance. |
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Tyson Chandler, C 1-1 FG | 0-0 3PT | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 2 PTS Chandler played only 7 minutes — and still managed to foul out. That's really all that needs to be said here. If he can't stay on the floor against teams with size, he's completely useless. I realize the refs were bad, but at some point Tyson has to adjust. |
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BENCH
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Carmelo Anthony, F 10-15 FG | 5-8 3PT | 2-2 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 27 PTS Holy Melo! Let's be clear: I never thought I'd say this, but Carmelo Anthony single-handedly kept Team USA in the game in the first quarter. He still can't play a lick of defense, but things could have gotten really ugly if not for his early offensive explosion. |
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Deron Williams, G 1-3 FG | 0-2 3PT | 2-4 FT | 1 REB | 2 AST | 4 PTS Chris Paul isn't the only American point guard being befuddled by international play. Williams has been terrible in Barcelona and, to be honest, hasn't shown any consistency throughout this tour. He's been great when his shot is falling, but if not... Yikes. |
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Russell Westbrook, G 4-12 FG | 0-1 3PT | 1-1 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 9 PTS As a devout Thunder fan, I love Russell Westbrook. He makes things happen — most of the time they're great, but sometimes they're bad. This game edged into the latter category. Too many turnovers. Too many contested jumpers. A little too much Bad Russ. |
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Andre Iguodala, F 0-2 FG | 0-1 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 0 PTS With his minutes reduced yet again, Iguodala didn't get much run in this one. As you would expect, he did his scrappy role player thing when he got on the floor, but nothing beyond the ordinary. It was a pretty average performance all around. |
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Kevin Love, F 1-4 FG | 0-0 3PT | 0-0 FT | 10 REB | 0 AST | 2 PTS Love picked up some extra minutes in Chandler's absence — and while he didn't score much, he embraced his role. He led the team in rebounding, battled on D despite being undersized, and even tried to take a charge. If this continues, he deserves more time. |
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James Harden, G 2-2 FG | 2-2 3PT | 1-2 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 7 PTS Harden only got on the floor for 5 minutes, but boy did he make the most of them, hitting all of his open threes and playing hard defensively. He will probably never play a lot, but he will get limited time as a three-point specialist if he can continue hitting open shots. |
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Anthony Davis, C 0-1 FG | 0-0 3PT | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS After a DNP against Argentina, The Brow logged a few minutes of garbage time here. It wasn't long enough to really get in a rhythm, but he was active around the rim on both ends and even had an impressive weak-side block. I still love everything about this kid. |
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