Report Card: USA 119, Australia 86

USA

119

Final

86

Australia

STARTERS

	Chris Paul, G 3-7 FG | 1-4 3PT | 0-2 FT | 1 REB | 3 AST | 7 PTS Paul wasn't quite as masterful offensively in this one as he was against Argentina, but he did give the Aussie guards fits on the defensive end, coming away with a team-high five steals. With guys like LeBron and KD running the floor, that's 10 more free points.
	Kobe Bryant, G 6-14 FG | 6-10 3PT | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 3 AST | 20 PTS "How can you give Kobe a B- when he shot 60 percent from three?!" some of you are undoubtedly wondering. And you're right — he did explode late. But that first half was the worst I've ever seen him play, hands down. That has to factor in somewhere.
	Kevin Durant, F 5-13 FG | 4-9 3PT | 0-0 FT | 5 REB | 1 AST | 14 PTS Durant came back down to earth after his stratospheric performance on Monday. He never really looked comfortable and wasn't able to fully engage offensively. He took way too many tough jump shots and got pushed around on defense. KD can do better.
	LeBron James, F 3-7 FG | 1-3 3PT | 4-7 FT | 14 REB | 12 AST | 11 PTS LeBron dominated the game without scoring, finishing with a Rondo-esque line of 11-14-12. It was Team USA's first ever triple-double since they started keeping assists as a stat in the 1970s, and that should really say it all. LeBron is just so, so good.
	Tyson Chandler, C 3-4 FG | 0-0 3PT | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 6 PTS Chandler (again) watched much of this game from the bench — a phenomenon that I've given up trying to understand. He was solid when he was on the floor, providing some semblance of a post presence. But I doubt he'll ever see more than 10 minutes a game.

Pre-Game Primer: USA vs. Australia

North Greenwich Arena
London, England

Time: Wednesday, 5:15 p.m. EDT

TV: NBC Sports Network

And here we are. Welcome to the knockout round. It's a great place to be, but it comes with its own set of consequences and pressures. From now on, there can be no slip-ups, no plays taken off, no lapses in concentration. Even one substandard performance can derail a team's gold medal hopes — and nothing less than gold is good enough for Team USA. Thankfully, the Americans enter this brave new world of elimination basketball with what should be a relatively mild clash with Australia. To be sure, the Aussies are capable of putting together a good game. After all, they toppled Russia just two days ago on the back of a herculean effort from Patty Mills. But the United States is still, as good as Russia has been, far and away the most talented team in this tournament. If they play at even 75 percent of their capacity, they should dispatch their quarterfinal foes with ease. Then again, there's a reason why they play these games — you have to come to play every night, no matter the talent disparity. Tonight is no different.