BEIJING — The USA men's basketball team has been so good at thrashing opponents every which way throughout the Beijing Olympics that a nine-point halftime lead over Argentina in the semifinals on Friday looked like a crisis.

The U.S. also has run teams out of games with such ferocity in China that, when Argentina was able to slow the U.S. pace, limit long misses, and force the Americans to run their halfcourt offense, it also looked like a crisis for the U.S.

The U.S. still beat Argentina, 101-81, behind Carmelo Anthony's 21 points and six others players scoring at least 10, at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium on Friday.

BEIJING — That killed the buzz.

The U.S. destroyed any illusions Spain might have had about being a close second favorite in the men's basketball competition at the Beijing Olympics with a 119-82 Pool B victory over the defending World Champions at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium on Saturday.

USA forward LeBron James scored nine of the Americans' first 16 points, while the U.S. forced Spain into boo-boo after boo-boo and beat Spain to the other end to score.