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ISTANBUL: The United States cruised past Angola 121-66 on Monday to move into the quarter-finals of the world basketball championships.
The game began according to script as the USA broke out to an early lead that would never be threatened for the remainder of the game.
Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder raced into double figures, grabbing 12 points in the opening seven minutes before being subbed off.
As if the task of taking on the Americans was not already enough for the Angolans who were without injured star Olimpio Cipriano, having their captain Carlos Almeida in foul trouble with three in the opening quarter did not help.
By the end of the first quarter the lead had already developed to 20 points (33-13).
The American scoring romp did not let up in the second quarter as coach Mike Krzyewski rotated the team, seeing his whole team clock court time before the first half was out.
Down 65-38 when the half-time buzzer sounded, thoughts of home must have already been creeping into the minds of the Angolans.
Chauncey Billups of the Denver Nuggets was unstoppable from beyond the paint, sinking four of his six three pointers to help him to 16 points by the end of the first half. Durant continued to lead the United States with 17 points.
Eight points from Angolan Joaquim Gomes in the third quarter could not stop the American lead from continuing to grow as they began to approach the century mark (91-56) with a quarter still to play.
USA had little trouble hitting the hundred mark in the final quarter, with the romp finally ending at 101-66
Gomes finished as the game's top-scorer with 21 points.
Billups finished up with 19 points, assisted by Durant, Memphis Grizzlies' Rudy Gay and Los Angeles Clippers' Eric Gordon who grabbed 17 points.
- AFP/de
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