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LONDON (AP) - Three sets of gold, the men's basketball U.S. Olympic believes his best is yet to come.
The first is to Australia in the quarterfinals, while Wednesday's game, and each of them, after that, may as well go by another name for Americans.
"Game 7," forward Kevin Durant said. "Every game is Game 7. Most guys here been in these situations. "
The Americans have two choices: win, and get closer to the title, or lose and go home in disgrace.
"We focus on this," said coach Mike Krzyzewski. "We are ready. Let's go."
The U.S. was 5-0 in pool game, perfect in the rankings if it is not quite on the ground. The defense does not seem to championship level, but that never mattered because the Americans could outgun all of their opponents.
But there is not the sole Nigerias round knockout, then maybe there will come a night when they can not win a single offense.
"I think we can distinguished teams, but you'll have a game where your shots are not falling and you need to get stops," swingman Andre Iguodala said, "and that's the scary part of our team . Is that we can still improve. We want to do better. We really want to dominate. It's really just to communicate and continue to frost. Even if there is only one week left, we try to gel with each other and put some dominant games together and try to go home with the gold medal. "
Krzyzewski is tired of people think it is supposed to be easy. For 13 minutes Tuesday, he fought against any notion that his team should never dare to be in a close game.
Now it's time for his players to answer for themselves.
"We're undefeated, we are now 0-0. Since our team did a really good job, "said Krzyzewski." I mean, we have a great camaraderie, we are healthy. Again, all you can do whatever you want with the domination thing, but it is not the case. It is simply not happen and we know that. So if you're looking at a game for us to dominate every minute of the game, it will not happen. They are too good. People are too good and if you can earn minutes segments, then adding to a victory, that's what we want to do. "
The United States faces a single close game in the preliminaries, but the game showed an alarming lack of commitment to defense in the last two victories for a team that has always insisted that the defense is its strength.
Or perhaps it is without worrying at all, not when a team can score the way these Americans as possible.
Kobe Bryant certainly is not worried.
"No, because the letter in one minute, we can continue as a 10-0 run," he said. "So I'm not worried right now."
The Americans were locked in a game point with Argentina at halftime Monday, after 56 percent shooting for. Then they buried under an avalanche of Argentines 42-17 in the third quarter, rolling to a 126-97 victory. That came two nights after the United States was shredded 58 percent in its 99-94 victory over Lithuania.
The United States to 79.6 points per game, a number that would rank closer to the bottom of the field of 12 teams so it's not for all teams whose average was ruined because they had to play against the Americans and their best tournament - with a marathon length - average 117.8 points.
"I want to see our defense play a little longer, as nearly 40 minutes, then 20, 25, 30," said LeBron James. "But you know we have so many trucks and so many home run hitters that could shatter a set of two points in a 13 -, 14 -, 15-point game in two or three possessions, you know, two or three minutes. It's great to be part of something like that.
"It's not dangerous for our team because it's not as if we were there not playing hard. It's not as if we were there not caring, because when we get to the sideline, we say, "Hey, we have to pick it up defensively, we have to start playing defensively," then we close in. So I love the way we played. "
So is Krzyzewski, but sometimes it feels as if it is in the minority. It has been around international basketball for much of his life and coaching was 20 years attending the Dream Team, so he watched opponents pass for fear of fear when they play against the United States.
"How many of them are NBA players? Why would they not be?" Krzyzewski said. "I mean, you're there with (Manu) Ginobili and (Luis) Scola, they play against these guys all the time. They are not intimidated by anyone and the other thing is, if a team not as NBA players, what they have to lose so they play with free money In other words, there are different things that you defend the opponent's offense also: ?. their ego, their opinion of you.
"It's just the way it is and it's been like that - I do not know why people do not understand this, it has been like this for a long time, it was like that for a decade and we understand that. ".
Australia has been a frequent elimination round opponent for the Americans in recent years and another that will not be in fear. The teams went to the difficulty in an exhibition game four years ago and U.S. players who were on this team expect more of the same as the competition moves to the North Greenwich Arena - or O2 to NBA players who have already had games there.
"They are really aggressive another team, another physical team, a team that likes to scrap," said Carmelo Anthony. "Everyone likes to scrap there, so there will be another the a games of them cheap snapback hats. "
Speedy point guard Patty Mills of San Antonio Spurs led the Australians to a 3-2 record in Group B, including a 82-80 victory over top-seeded Russia on Monday. Mills won on a 3-pointer at the buzzer and an average of 20.2 points, right next to Pau Gasol tournament-best 20.6 per game. But Americans are likely to swarm him defensively, and there is not enough power around him.
"We understand the level of talent we are against," Australia coach Brett Brown said. "Our goal is to play basketball proud Australian. The players are eager to play and use it as a measuring instrument to see what level they are right now. "
Americans will be called to crush the outset, and perhaps Krzyzewski's just about it being unfair and unrealistic. Nobody remembers when the towers of victory if the sprinter Usain Bolt was slow on the blocks.
The only thing that matters is finishing, and the United States is on track for anyone who wants wholesale baseball caps.
"I think now our level of development is to start the game off in the extremely aggressive game plan and how the game is called," Anthony said. "I do not think we will come out in the measured as lacksadaisical, something like the defensive end or waiting to see what they will do for our adaptation. Our adjustment will tip-off. "