U.S. defeats Angola 97-76

Mark HeislerTimes Staff Writer

BEIJING -- Herlander Coimbra, this one's for you.

In a moral victory they could have dedicated to their frail countryman whom Charles Barkley rocked with an elbow in 1992, Angola's gritty little players hung with the U.S. superstars, losing only 97-76 Tuesday night in Wukesong Arena.

If that sounds like a blowout, it was a barnburner compared to what the U.S. was expected to do to the pint-sized Angolans whose starting front line went 6 feet 7, 6-6, 6-5.

That compared favorably . . . with the U.S. backcourt, where 6-6 Kobe Bryant started alongside 6-4 Jason Kidd.

In 1992, when Barkley made Coimbra a household name, at least in Angola, the Dream Team won by 68 points, 116-48.

That was the game in which the U.S. broke a 7-7 tie with a 46-1 run that made it 53-8.

Dwyane Wade led the U.S. with 19 points, and Dwight Howard followed with 14. Carmelo Anthony 12 points, as did LeBron James.

If the U.S. plays better when it's excited, it was obviously not Tuesday night, after Coach Mike Krzyzewski gave his players Monday off. That was expected to be their last day off in any event, but if there was any doubt, Tuesday night's game clinched it.

The U.S. looked impressive in spurts, as always, but Tuesday night they were short spurts.

Worse, with opponents closer to their own size waiting -- Greece on Thursday and Spain Saturday -- the Americans' shooting woes continued.

Looking as if Krzyzewski had told them not to run away from three-pointers when they had them, the U.S. players came out firing, knocking down three of their first four.

After that, they went 2-17 from the arc, so look for Greece to play a zone.