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Americans Make It Look Easy, Rout China

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 11, 2008

BEIJING - This was the stuff a Dream Team is made of. Acrobatic moves, reverse slams and tomahawk dunks. Who needs outside shooting? Just toss it up and throw it down.

The United States opened its campaign for Olympic basketball redemption Sunday with a 101-70 rout of host China that had even the home crowd oohing and aahing.
Dwyane Wade lobbed one up to LeBron James on a fastbreak, James caught it in midair with one hand and in one motion, slammed it home.
Kobe Bryant drove to the basket a couple of times for tomahawk dunks, sending the crowd into a frenzy each time.

And not to be outdone, Wade had a behind-the-head, back-to-the-basket two-handed dunk of his own.

This wasn't a game, this was a spectacle.

And the fans, including President Bush, got what they came to see.

Wade scored 19 points and James had 18 for the Americans. Bryant finished with 13 points.

But the score didn't matter in this All-Star game setting.

China's Yao Ming, All-Star center for the Houston Rockets, started the showcase by drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key for the first score of the game. Yao finished with 13 points.

The Americans made 21 of their first 25 shots inside the 3-point arc, though they had another inept night behind it.

The Americans face Angola on Tuesday.

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