US Men beat Australia in closest warm-up yet

Team USA are determined to win gold in Bejing. (Photo credit: CFP)Photo Gallery>>(BEIJING, August 6) -- While the United States Women's Basketball team worked out a tough second half against Australia to win the Diamond Ball in Haining on August 5, the US Men's team was also challenged by Australia in Shanghai, where they won 87-76 in their final warm-up game before Olympic competition begins.

The US team was led in scoring by Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade with 22 points and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James with 16, but the team overall performed poorly from the free throw line as well as behind the arc, where they netted only three of 18 attempts.

Patrick Mills and Chris Anstey each scored 13 points for Australia.

The US team relied on a tight defensive effort, allowing only one basket in the last five and a half minutes of the first half, going to the break at 44-29. When they began to allow Australia several three-pointers and opened the lane to drives by players like forward David Barlow, the United States cut their own lead to only four points once in the third quarter, but eventually regrouped to a double-digit advantage.

Guards Michael Redd and Wade scored inside the paint at the beginning of the fourth, moving the United States' lead to 69-55, but Australia went on an 11-2 scoring run and narrowed the gap to seven points midway through the quarter. When Team USA got their feet moving, Wade managed to rack up some more points to finish the game 87-76, their closest friendly yet.

Two days earlier, the United States beat Russia in a warm-up by 21 points, while Australia had a good showing against defending gold medalist Argentina in the Diamond Ball for Men final, leading by 12 points at the half before losing 95-91.

Australia's superstar Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks center and No. 1 pick in the 2005 NBA draft, wanted more time to rest a sore right ankle, but expects to be ready by Australia's first Olympic Basketball game against Croatia on August 10.

The United States will face China on their opener that same day.