Redeem team wary of medal-round slip-up

BEIJING — The five-date slate of preliminary pool games for the 12 men's basketball teams at the Beijing Olympics has accomplished its purpose — providing the seeding for the eight quarterfinalists and reflecting how dominant the favorite United States squad really is.

But once in the quarterfinals, a slip here or a misstep there can result in an upset loss, which in the quarterfinals means elimination, in the semifinal finals means bronze medal at best, and in the championship game means a tarnished silver.

Up first for the United States in Wednesday's quarterfinals is Andrew Bogut-led Australia, which after opening the Games with a pair of listless performances ripped off three dominating victories in Group A.

Other quarterfinal pairings: Spain meets up-and-down Croatia, Lithuania faces host China, and defending champion Argentina takes on Greece.

After the U.S. struggled to a 5-3 record and a much-maligned bronze at the 2004 Athens Games, anything short of gold for star-studded Team USA will earn public rebuke. The United States' thrashing of its Group B peers did nothing but fuel the fire of public expectations.

And the efforts of opponents to knock them off, as U.S. head coach Mike Krzyzewski has warned.

"Every team we play from here on, coach said was going to be like a 'game seven' and we have to stay focused," center Dwight Howard said.

Focused is what the Americans were through five pool games. Consider the numbers:

• Scoring — The United States is first in points scored at 103 a game and tops in points allowed, only 70.8. And the five margins of victory were impressive — 29 points in the opener against China, followed by a charitable 21 against winless Angola, then 23 versus Greece, 37 in blowing out then-undefeated Spain, and 49 in the finale with Germany.

• Shooting — After a couple of off outings, the U.S. ended up shooting a collective 55 percent from the floor and allowing opponents just 37 percent shooting. That's 64 percent to 43 on two-pointers and 36 percent to 27 percent for 3-pointers, the latter an area where critics wondered if the Americans could stop the international sharpshooters.

• Defense — The United States has created 114 turnovers but committed just 69, tripled the amount of steals made versus given up (72 to 24) and blocked 21 shots to having been stuffed 14 times.