The Americans made Athens look like ancient history.

Three years after its stunning loss in the Olympics, the United States smothered Puerto Rico in a 117-78 victory Tuesday night in the FIBA Americas tournament.

"I don't hold grudges, but I still keep that game in the back of my mind every time we play them," Carmelo Anthony said. "Even last year when we played them we really wanted to get after them, and tonight we wanted to get after them, also."

LeBron James scored 21 points and Anthony added 17 for the Americans, who clinched a spot in Saturday's semifinals -- where a win would earn them a berth in the Beijing Olympics.

Michael Redd had 15 points and Kobe Bryant 14. He also set up James for a pair of powerful dunks, thrusting his arms in the air like a quarterback who had just thrown a touchdown pass after both.

Puerto Rico handed the United States a 92-73 loss, its worst ever, in the 2004 games. Current U.S. stars Anthony, James and Amare Stoudemire were all in Greece and watched Carlos Arroyo and the rest of the Puerto Ricans torch the Americans for 56 percent shooting.

The Americans ended any hopes of a repeat with their latest sensational second quarter and remained unbeaten in this event. They finished just about at the 117.6 points they were averaging entering the game.

The United States plays Uruguay on Wednesday before closing second-round play Thursday night against follow unbeaten Argentina. But even with losses in those two games, the Americans would still be guaranteed a spot Saturday.

"Saturday will take care of itself," U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Obviously we want to go undefeated and get the No. 1. seed, that's our goal. We'll be ready to play whoever we face."

Arroyo fouled out in the third quarter with 12 points -- half his total that sparked the Olympic upset.

The Puerto Ricans then gave the Americans another tough test last year in the world championships, shooting 54 percent and trailing by only six at halftime of a 111-100 loss. They looked as if they would make things difficult again Tuesday for about 9 minutes, then were run off the floor in the second quarter.

"Puerto Rico is familiar with the United States and has a few pro players who have confidence playing against us," Krzyzewski said. "They controlled the tempo in the first quarter and our defense kind of blew it apart and we stated playing so well in the second quarter."

Krzyzewski said he never talked about the '04 game with his team.

"We played them twice last year and they scored 100 points against us in Japan last year, a game we had a 20-point lead in. We had a great team meeting today going through our scouting report and the guys responded well."

The United States held the Puerto Ricans without a field goal for 6 1/2 minutes to open the second period, outscoring them 22-4 to turn an 11-point lead into a 48-19 bulge on Anthony's 3-pointer with 3:47 remaining in the first half. Arroyo made a 3 about 20 seconds later, ending Puerto Rico's 0-for-8 drought.

The Americans were 7-of-11 from 3-point range in the quarter, limited the Puerto Ricans to just three field goals in 17 attempts, and led 59-27 at the break.

James was 8-of-10 from the field and is shooting a tournament-best 75 percent (36-of-48). He made three of five 3-point attempts -- and his percentage from there actually dropped. He came at 63.6 percent, tops in the event.

James, who said he has been working on his jumper all summer, has clearly been more aggressive offensively as the tournament has gone on.

"I think the defense is seeing what you guys are seeing, that I wasn't scoring as much, that I could be a facilitator," James said. "They're definitely not respecting my offensive abilities so I'm just going out there and just taking what's there."

Krzyzewski returned to the starting lineup he used for the first four games, reinserting Jason Kidd and Dwight Howard in place of Chauncey Billups and Amare Stoudemire. Kidd improved to 40-0 in senior team competitions for the United States.

The Americans also got back reserve forward Tayshaun Prince after he missed Monday's victory over Mexico with a sprained left ankle.

Larry Ayuso scored 13 points for Puerto Rico, which plays Venezuela on Wednesday.

"We played a superior team today with the best players from the NBA," said Puerto Rico coach Manolo Cintron, adding the difference from Athens was "in the back of the room, Jose Ortiz. He was the face of the Puerto Rico team for 26 years. Right now we have a new team trying to develop, grow up and compete with the USA physically."

LeBron James soared for powerful dunks, pulled up for flawless 3-pointers. And when the halftime buzzer sounded, there was only one way to describe his play.

Perfect.

James was 11-for-11 from the field, making all four of his 3-point attempts, and scored 26 points in the first half Wednesday night to lead the United States to a 118-79 victory over Uruguay in the FIBA Americas tournament.

In a sensational display of speed and power, James raised his tournament-leading shooting percentage to an almost comical 79.7 percent (47-of-59). He is 14-of-20 from 3-point range, a 70 percent mark that also leads the event.

Despite playing only 14 minutes, he fell two points shy of the American record in an Olympic qualifying game shared by Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson.

"That first half was awesome, it was as good as I've seen," said Chauncey Billups, whose Pistons watched James score 48 points against them in the Eastern Conference finals. "That second (quarter) was just phenomenal. I was just happy I was there to see it. The dunks, the 3-point shots, he just wouldn't miss."

The Americans will face fellow unbeaten Argentina on Thursday in the final game of the second round. A victory would send the United States into Saturday's semifinals as the No. 1 seed.

Argentina beat the United States in the semifinals at the 2004 Olympics, a loss the Americans avenged last year in the bronze medal game at the world championships.

"It's definitely become a rivalry between us, so tomorrow will be a big game for us and a big game for them," James said. "If we continue doing what we've been doing for the last two weeks, we'll be fine."

That will be the sixth straight night with a game for the Americans, but the easy victory Wednesday allowed them to get some rest. U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski rested his starters for the entire second half, but the Americans still had no problem meeting the 117.5 average they entered the game at -- just shy of the 121.2 the Dream Team averaged in 1992.

Anthony missed the whole game with a bruised right heel, an injury that wasn't considered serious. He complained of pain Wednesday morning, though it wasn't known if he was hurt during Tuesday's victory over Puerto Rico. Michael Redd started in his place and scored nine points.

Esteban Batista, who played 70 games for the Atlanta Hawks over the last two seasons, scored 20 points for Uruguay, which has an important game against Brazil on Thursday.

"We play hard every game and tonight we did against the USA, that will never change," Batista said. "We'll do the same tomorrow and again we will be the smaller team like we were against the USA. It's always the same for us."

Uruguay played even with the United States for the first 5 minutes and trailed by only 12 after a basket by Batista with 7 1/2 minutes remaining in the first half. The U.S. starters returned less than a minute later, beginning James' highlight reel.

He threw down a dunk about 15 seconds after returning, then added consecutive layups after passes from Jason Kidd 17 seconds apart to push the lead to 43-25 with 5:44 remaining in the half.

"LeBron doesn't have to score a point," Krzyzewski said. "He's not looking for his points, he takes what's there."

When James nailed a 3-pointer with 2:39 left to improve to 10-of-10, 4-of-4 behind the arc, all that seemed missing was a shoulder shrug like Michael Jordan made after hitting all six of his 3-point attempts in the first half of Game 1 of the 1992 NBA finals against Portland.

"When he gets that jumper going, you can just forget about it because he's so strong in other parts of his game, going to the basket and finishing (with) two or three guys hanging on him," Billups said. "You just try to play him for his jump shot, and when he's got that jump shot going, what can you do?"

James capped his half with one more dunk, going high above the rim and viciously throwing the ball down, stopping to look at the crowd for a second after he landed. The Americans led 66-38 at halftime after shooting 63 percent (25-of-40) in the first half.

Amare Stoudemire finished with 19 points and Deron Williams had 14 for the United States. Kobe Bryant and Tayshaun Prince added 13 apiece.

The Americans turned to him for a knowing nod, a wink, and they understood his eyes were the most discriminating of judges. Magic Johnson had a front-row seat for the American basketball revival, a presence borne of a salute to a Team USA roster honoring the red, white and blue Olympic legacy.

"Right coach, right players," Magic said Thursday night. "Everything is working now."

It is still impossible to tell the collective genius of this U.S. men's senior national team, because this 91-76 victory over Argentina comes with the defending gold medalists gutted of its championship core. Argentina will be in Beijing next year with the stars who were missing at this FIBA America tournament - Manu Ginobili, Fabricio Oberto and Andres Nocioni - and yet they'll have to understand that the dysfunction of Team USA has been replaced with resolve again, with the promise of greatness again. The Americans have regained that look of machinery, defending and shooting, playing tough and playing together.

"They're unbelievable right now," said Argentina big man Luis Scola, who recently signed with the Houston Rockets.

Nobody talks about Dream Teams anymore because that's been forever framed with Magic and his basketball Rushmore of stars in 1992. It was a different time, a different global game. Yet, Magic has watched Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd change everything about the crumbled culture that poisoned this program. The transformation isn't as much about the design of USA basketball director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski, as much as it's been the will of Kidd and Bryant.

"Once your superstars buy into the team concept, everyone else buys in," Johnson said. "Once Michael (Jordan) and Larry (Bird) bought in, everybody else followed. This team is very focused on defense and that's what feeds the offense. We're only going to win the gold if we rely on our defense. That's what we did. Once we stopped them, we knew we were unstoppable in our transition game. They're doing the same thing here."

Maybe so, but there are those in the international basketball community still saying: Who are they stopping here? For Team USA, it'll qualify for the 2008 Olympics with a semifinal victory over Puerto Rico on Saturday. For a moment, Michael Redd started to answer the simplest question with a convoluted answer, but rightfully resisted.

Had the United States been tested in this tournament?

"You know ..." he started, and then stopped himself.

"No," Redd flatly said.

Redd's right. Still, he and his teammates have found a way to challenge themselves, with their tests coming from within the program. When they want, the Americans can play the most suffocating defense. Kobe has been frightening on the defensive end, liberated with the knowledge he doesn't need to expend as much energy offensively as he would with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Over and over, Team USA turned missed shots and steals into a layup line for most of Thursday night, with Kidd's genius delivering the ball wherever, and whenever, his teammates needed it. For the Americans, Kidd is the closest living thing to Magic, who loves what the New Jersey Nets star has done for the national team.

"It isn't just that he gives the ball to the right guys," Magic said. "He gives it to them in the right places."

The Americans have made it look so easy in Vegas. Resistance has been futile for the skeleton teams out of Brazil and Argentina, but both will undoubtedly return next year with plans of exploiting the U.S.'s half-court defense. Kobe can't cover everyone on the floor, and there's a belief that Team USA is suspect defending the pick and roll. Just spread the floor, throw shooters at them, and lesser talent can still use the international rules to make life miserable for the Americans.

"Everyone on the floor for Argentina, they can all shoot the ball," Colangelo said.

Yes, it appears Team USA has started to restore its standing in the world, but that won't be settled on the Strip this summer. There is a long way to go until Beijing. However, Magic Johnson was in the gymnasium on Thursday night and he delivered his American heirs to Olympic gold the strongest of endorsements by leaping into the air at the Thomas and Mack Center and pumping his fists to the sky. His kind of basketball, his kind of team again.

Leandro Barbosa scored 32 points to lead Brazil to a 96-62 victory over Uruguay on Thursday and a berth in the semifinals of the FIBA Americas tournament.

Brazil (4-3) clinched third place and will play Argentina in the semifinals on Saturday.

The top two teams in the tournament earn berths in the Beijing Olympics, while the next three finishers advance to an Olympic qualifying tournament next July.

Argentina beat Brazil 86-79 in overtime on Wednesday in their second-round meeting and Barbosa, the tournament's leading scorer with a 22.3 average, had 16 points on 5-for-18 shooting.

"Since we lost yesterday we came in with a lot more energy and was more physical," Brazil center Nene, who plays for the Denver Nuggets, said after getting eight points and four rebounds against Uruguay. "We'll bring that energy Saturday. It will be a big game for both teams."

After playing eight games in nine days, the teams will have off Friday.

"We'll spend tomorrow relaxing and try to find our mistakes against Argentina and see how we'll play them," Brazil's Tiago Splitter said.

Argentina lost to the United States 91-76 on Thursday night in a matchup of unbeaten teams.

Uruguay (2-5) scored the opening basket of the second half to get within 44-39, but Brazil used its depth and size advantage to take over. Brazil scored 10 straight points and held Uruguay to just three more field goals in the quarter in opening a 74-45 lead.

Barbosa had 15 points in the quarter and except for his two 3-pointers and another by Valter Da Silva, Brazil's points all came near the basket. Batista had all of Uruguay's points in the quarter.

"We knew we had to play the first part of the third quarter well because that is when they could change the game," Splitter said. "We got our confidence, made passes and opened the score."

Batista, the only player in the tournament to average a double-double with 21.3 points and 12.7 rebounds, finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

"It was tough today but we tried," Uruguay coach Alberto Espasandin said. "But Esteban couldn't handle it all by himself."

Uruguay still had a chance to finish fifth and play in the Olympic qualifying tournament, but needed Canada to beat Puerto Rico. As the final seconds of Puerto Rico's 72-66 victory wound down, the Uruguay players filed out of their seats behind the basket and silently headed for the team bus.

"They are very good players. It was tough but we competed," said the 6-foot-10 Batista, who played for the Atlanta Hawks and was the first native of Uruguay to sign an NBA contract. "Today we played for the qualification and we had a job to do and couldn't."

Barbosa, who plays for the Phoenix Suns, refused to talk with the media as he left the arena.

All the United States needs for a spot in the 2008 Olympics is a semifinal victory.

Those have been hard to come by lately.

A win over Puerto Rico gives the Americans a spot in Beijing. But they bring a two-game losing streak in semifinal games into Saturday's matchup at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Forget winning the big one. The guys in red, white and blue haven't even been able to get there. But LeBron James, a part of both recent losses, thinks the slump is over.

"I think we're ready," James said. "It's a brand new team and we have a brand new mind-set. We know how important Saturday is, so we're going to go out with the same intensity we had the first seven or eight games and keep it going."

With their dominant play through the first two rounds, the Americans have heard some comparisons to the Dream Team, considered the basketball squad ever, that ran through the Olympic qualifier and the Barcelona Games in 1992.

But the recent U.S. semifinal struggles call to mind the years immediately before that team was formed. The Americans lost the game before the finals in both the 1988 Olympics and 1990 world championships -- a team led by current U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski.

The teams that handed the Americans those recent losses were no slouches. Argentina followed its victory over the United States in the 2004 Olympics by winning the gold medal, and the Greek team that shredded the U.S. defense last year in the world championships, while lesser known in the States, was the reigning European champion.

Puerto Rico, which was minutes away from being eliminated in the first round, isn't at that level. But the Americans have seen how difficult the Puerto Ricans can be when they are on, so promise not to overlook them.

"We can't sleep on Puerto Rico," Carmelo Anthony said. "Puerto Rico's been playing good through the tournament, we got to respect them."

Led by Orlando Magic guard Carlos Arroyo and 3-point threat Larry Ayuso, the Puerto Ricans can give teams fits with their perimeter attack. Puerto Rico handed the U.S. its worst loss ever with a 92-73 victory in the opener at Athens, and shot better than 50 percent while losing by only 11 last year in the world championships.

Arroyo scored more than 20 points in both of those games.

"They are very confident and use their strengths well," Krzyzewski said. "They can all hit 3-point shots and they spread you and cause you to have a lot of switching situations. Arroyo has been one of the best guards in international basketball for the past six, seven years and Ayuso is as good a 3-point shooter as there is internationally."

But the Americans shut them down Tuesday night while rolling to a 117-78 victory. The United States held the Puerto Ricans without a field goal for 6 1/2 minutes to open the second quarter. Puerto Rico missed its first eight attempts of the period.

"We have to play great defense like we did in the second quarter against them when we were able to get the big lead," Krzyzewski said. "Defense is the key Saturday."

Arroyo fouled out of that game in the third quarter with 12 points -- half his total from the Athens upset. Ayuso led Puerto Rico with 13.

Puerto Rico won its other three second-round games and has clinched a spot in next summer's Olympic qualifying tournament that will determine the last three berths in Beijing. But the Puerto Ricans aren't giving up hope than can lock up a spot long before that with another shocker.

"It's still possible so we have to keep our focus," Arroyo said. "We can't show up with the defeat mentality. It's in our hands. We have a very talented team and we have to play like we're capable of doing it."

A victory sends the United States into the championship game Sunday against either Argentina or Brazil, but that game is ultimately meaningless. So if the Americans want to make one last statement in a game that matters, Saturday is the time to do it.

"This is the challenge for this team to show that we are not just about winning, but playing the right way and that we are going to come out and take care of business," Jason Kidd said. "We understand how big this game is on Saturday because that puts us into qualifying for the Olympics and that's what we came here to do."

LeBron James put a record finish on the Americans' dominance in the desert.

James scored a team-record 31 points, and the United States beat Argentina 118-81 on Sunday to win the FIBA Americas championship.

Dwight Howard made all seven of his shots and scored 20 points, and Carmelo Anthony added 16 points for the Americans, who were never challenged while winning 10 games in 12 days and will head to Beijing next summer as one of the gold medal favorites.

The Americans averaged 116.7 points in the tournament.

The game was largely meaningless, because both teams had already clinched spots in the Beijing field by winning semifinal games Saturday. But the Americans didn't let up, remaining perfect in four Olympic qualifers, including 7-0 against Argentina.

James finished the tournament shooting 76 percent from the field -- his percentage actually dropped from 76.5 after he made 11 of 15 shots. He was 8-of-11 from 3-point range and also led the tournament in that category, hitting 62 percent.

The game was close for 6 minutes before the United States blew it open with an 18-0 run. The Americans scored the final 15 points of the first quarter, then Chauncey Billups opened the second with a 3-pointer for a 38-14 lead.

At one point in the second, the Americans scored five consecutive baskets on dunks -- three by Howard and two by James, with each having one set up by Kobe Bryant, who had a quiet scoring night but had eight assists. When Howard dunked with 4:58 remaining to push the lead to 51-21, the United States had 16 assists on 18 field goals.

The Americans led 59-34 at halftime after shooting 57 percent. They averaged 59.7 points in the first half during the tournament, and their closest lead at the break was 14 points.

James then hit four 3-pointers in the third on his way to passing Anthony and Allen Iverson, who had both scored 28 points in an Olympic qualifying game.

Luis Scola had 23 points for Argentina (8-2), which lost twice to the Americans. He led a team lacking its normal firepower to a spot in the Olympics, and now turns his attention to making his NBA debut next month for the Houston Rockets.

Without Manu Ginobili, Fabricio Oberto, Andres Nocioni and Walter Herrmann, the defending Olympic champions didn't have nearly enough to keep up with the Americans here. The United States won 91-76 on Thursday in a second-round game that was never close after the opening minutes.

Puerto Rico beat Brazil 111-107 earlier Sunday in the third-place game.

One of the most competitive European basketball championships in history is going to make it difficult for world champion Spain to add another crown.

Even so, with at least five NBA players on the roster and a home crowd, Spain is favored to win.

Pau Gasol will lead the Spaniards when the tournament opens Monday, while defending champion Greece is looking to become the first repeat winner in a decade.

France, with Tony Parker, and Germany, with Dirk Nowitzki, are also in the running.

Only two teams have won the European title after winning the world championship, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. Germany, in 1993, was the last host team to win the title.

Two automatic berths for the 2008 Olympics are also at stake. Spain has already qualified because of its world title.

Spain doesn't plan to let history -- including five final appearances without a win -- get in its way when it opens against Group B rival Portugal.

"We are the team to beat, but then most of the teams are saying that to take the pressure off themselves," Spain forward Felipe Reyes said. "There are great teams out there and it's not going to be easy."

Gasol leads the team, which beat Greece 70-47 in the world championship final, with Memphis Grizzlies teammate Juan Carlos Navarro, Toronto Raptors guard Jose Calderon and Portland Trail Blazers guard Sergio Rodriguez.

Jorge Garbajosa of the Toronto Raptors was cleared to play Sunday after recovering from ankle and leg injuries.

The Greeks have failed to impress in the run-up to the tournament, however, putting pressure on guard Theodoros Papaloukas, the MVP in Belgrade, Serbia, two years ago.

The recent fires that have ravaged the Greek countryside and claimed 65 lives are also giving the defending champions some inspiration.

"We want to play in the EuroBasket also for the people who are suffering right now," Greece guard Vassilis Spanoulis said. "For us, this is a commitment we make to them."

Greece opens against qualifier Israel in Group A, which also features Serbia and Russia.

France also has five NBA players on its roster.

"It's two straight third-place finishes at the Euros and now it's time to make that final step," said Parker, the San Antonio Spurs guard.

France opens against Poland, while Group D rival Italy, with a roster boasting three NBA players including last year's No. 1 draft pick Andrea Bargnani, has seen its expectations dip due to injury.

Bargnani and Marco Belinelli of the Golden State Warriors are among seven players nursing injuries ahead of Italy's opener against Slovenia.

Nowitzki leads Germany against the Czech Republic in Group C, with Lithuania -- which opens against Turkey -- also a contender for its fourth European title.

In the other Group A game, Latvia plays Croatia.

The top three teams from each group advance to two six-team qualifying-round groups. The top four teams from each group -- taking into account results from the preliminary rounds -- advance to the quarterfinals. Madrid hosts the final on Sept. 16.

Tony Parker scored 36 points Tuesday, leading Group D leader France past Italy 69-62 and handing the Olympic runner-up its second loss at the European championship.

Pau Gasol had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead world champion Spain over a stubborn Latvia side 93-77 in Sevilla, where Croatia (1-1) beat Portugal (0-2) 90-68 in another Group B game. Lithuania moved into the second round with a 95-75 win over Group C rival Czech Republic (0-2) before Germany (2-0) routed Turkey (0-2) 79-49 behind 24 points from Dirk Nowitzki.

At Granada, Serbia's Milan Gurovic banked in a three-pointer from inside half-court to force overtime against Greece, where the reigning champions stayed undefeated with a 68-67 win. Also in Group A, Russia won its second straight, dominating last-minute qualifier Israel 90-56.

Lithuania, which defeated Turkey by 16 points Monday, moved closer to the second round with a 95-75 win over Group C rival Czech Republic (0-2).

In the other Group D match, Slovenia (2-0) advanced with a 70-52 win over Poland.

The top three from each group move on to the second round of group play. That will decide the quarterfinals, which begin in Madrid on Sept. 13.

At Alicante, Parker scored 13 of France's first 17 points, but the San Antonio Spurs star had only two more the rest of the first half. France, down by five at halftime, opened the second half with a 6-0 run to take its first lead, 37-36, when Parker made two free throws after Andrea Crosario drew a technical for slamming the ball into the base of the basketball pole.

Parker scored his team's next 10 points to give France a 47-41 lead, but as he sat for most of the final two minutes of the third quarter, Italy closed within 51-47. Italy scored six straight at start of the fourth to reclaim the lead. Tariq Kirksay hit a 3-pointer with three minutes remaining to put France ahead for good, 63-60.

Three-time European champion Lithuania shot 63 percent to dominate a Czech team that lost to Germany in overtime Monday. Ksistof Lavrinovic scored 22 in less than 20 minutes for Lithuania.

Russia, which beat Serbia on Monday, seems eager to improve on its consecutive eighth-place finishes. American-born John Robert Holden lobbed a pass for Andrei Kirilenko to slam at 4:25 of the second period to give Russia a 32-21 lead. The Russians kept their double-digit lead the rest of the way.

Croatia looks set to clinch its place in the second round. Damir Markota scored 13 and four other players were in double figures.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson has matched Red Auerbach with nine NBA titles.

What the new Basketball Hall of Famer can't do is compete with the late Celtics patriarch's supernatural skills.

"We lost out on the Kevin Garnett sweepstakes," Jackson lamented Friday after a ceremony to receive his Hall of Fame blazer. "Red Auerbach came out of the grave and told Kevin (McHale) to give him to the Celtics."

Auerbach was credited with many things during his own Hall of Fame career as a coach and executive who had a hand in all of Boston's record 16 NBA championships. Visiting teams accused the Celtics of foul play, like turning off the hot water in the locker room showers or memorizing the dead spots in the famous Boston Garden parquet floor.

But to Auerbach, who died on the eve of last season, the Celtics mystique was merely a tradition of excellence that players bought into when they arrived in Boston and carried with them if they made other NBA stops. Jackson joked that it may have helped the Celtics land Garnett in an unprecedented 7-for-1 trade this summer.

McHale, who won three titles with the Celtics in the 1980s, is now the basketball boss of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He worked out the deal with former teammate Danny Ainge, who's running the Celtics.

Jackson, who denied a report that he was considering retirement, said he was hoping to add Garnett to the Lakers, in part to assuage the concerns of star Kobe Bryant that the team wasn't a championship contender.

Bryant criticized the Lakers' front office this spring and asked for a trade, but he later appeared to soften his stance. Bryant hasn't addressed the issue much since, so it's unclear if the two-time league scoring champion still wants to leave the only NBA team he has played for.

"Kobe and I are very much in collusion in that we want this team to have an opportunity to succeed," Jackson said. "We've made some changes."

Asked whether Bryant would have to mend fences if he does return, Jackson said, "There's some recouping that has to be done there, perhaps between Kobe and some of his teammates."

Before leaving Los Angeles for the induction ceremony, Jackson told radio station KLAC he felt misled by a member of the Buss family.

"We were promised by Jim Buss we'd have big changes. We've yet to see that," Jackson said. "We're still looking for that. And we still are looking for that big boost in our team. So we hope we still have one more (move) in us to include a player that really can play...the kind of role that you have to have to win in this game, someone who can (score) and play defense and do the things on the floor to help us win."

Buss is the son of Jerry Buss, the Lakers' owner since 1979. The team has won eight championships since that time.

Jackson was to be inducted into the Hall on Friday night along with North Carolina coach Roy Williams; the 1966 NCAA champion Texas Western team; four-time WNBA championship coach Van Chancellor, the longtime women's coach at Mississippi recently hired by LSU; former NBA referee Mendy Rudolph; and international coaches Pedro Ferrandiz of Spain and Mirko Novosel of Yugoslavia.

Former USA Today, Chicago Tribune and New York Times writer Malcom Moran and longtime Phoenix Suns broadcaster Al McCoy were honored with the Curt Gowdy Media Award.

As he dialed a pay phone inside the American Legion Hall in Lima, Ohio, the young general manager of the Albany Patroons prayed Phil Jackson had changed his mind about coaching basketball. Jim Coyne had desperately tried to get him to take the Albany Patroons job months before, believing that an old New York Knicks star would sell tickets in upstate New York.

"He was fed up with basketball and didn't want anything to do with it," Coyne says now. So he hired Dean Meminger, watched him struggle to 15 losses in 23 games to start the 1982-83 season, and soon Coyne was calling back to Montana, begging Jackson to reconsider his stand on coaching. Just finish the season out, and see what you think of the coaching, Coyne told Jackson. Beyond that, there would be no commitments.

"Call me back in an hour," Jackson said.

When Coyne did, Jackson said "Yes," packed his bags, moved to Woodstock, about 50 miles south of Albany, and started that long, strange hippie trip to Springfield, Mass., for the Naismith Hall of Fame enshrinement on Friday. Twenty-four years ago, Jackson started work in the Continental Basketball Association on the rehabilitation project that Red Auerbach insisted that he never dared try. For those six years in the 1980s, Jackson loved to drive the vans to Toronto and Bangor in the CBA because there was more leg room in the driver's seat. Jackson always gave himself, and his players, space to operate in a sport where coaches' grips grow tighter.

Within weeks in '83, Jackson had the last-place Patroons beating the CBA All-Stars in a game.

Within a year, he won the league championship.

What worked in the Washington Street Armory in upstate New York would work in Chicago and Los Angeles for him.

"He brought a different vibe, an air of confidence," says a guard on those Patroons, Phil Seymore, now the women's coach at Providence College. "He made the game really simple; his instructions, they were simple.

"You know, once, we drove the van to Maine, got dressed right there on it, went out on the court and they were killing us. I'm thinking, 'Call a timeout man,' but he would never call it. Afterwards, he'd explain, 'I want you guys to figure it out on the court, instead of me doing it for you.' He did that a lot, and you grew to understand the value of it."

As did Jordan and Pippen, Shaq and Kobe. Jackson was forever a student of the simplicity that his Red, the Knicks' Red Holzman, taught him on those great champions in the early 1970's. As history goes, the debate about the greatest of all time will rage between Auerbach and Jackson. Despite Kobe Bryant's summer of discontent, the Los Angeles Lakers are no closer to getting Jackson his 10th title to pass Auerbach. Jackson will probably stay at nine titles, and that tie will energize the debate forever.

As it turns out, these Lakers have turned into the NBA rebuilding job that Red Auerbach insisted he never had; only Jackson the coach doesn't have Auerbach the GM on his side. Best coach ever? Jackson and Auerbach come out of different NBAs, different circumstances. They sure coached basketball a different way: Auerbach used fear and intimidation, and Jackson has always appealed to a ballplayer's sensibilities and intellect. Auerbach challenged his players' manhood, the way that Jackson challenged their minds.

Yes, Jackson can be arrogant, even pompous, but that air of aristocracy added to his aura. Of course, nothing Jackson ever did was as insulting as lighting a cigar on the bench of a basketball game to rub an opponent's face in a loss.

Five years ago, Jackson was on his way to tying Auerbach with his ninth NBA title, and Auerbach, legendary curmudgeon, was hardly blanketing himself with grace. Whatever the record books said, Auerbach wanted everyone to believe that he was still history's greatest coach. He had reminded everyone that Jackson had found ready-made dynasties, that he had walked into Chicago with the Jordan-Pippen Bulls, and Los Angeles for the Kobe-Shaq Lakers. Auerbach was determined to give Jerry Krause and Jerry West responsibility for constructing those dynasties, because it diminished Jackson's impact.

After Jackson told a room of reporters that a third party had reached out to him in 2002, told him that Red wanted him to know that he was misquoted, that he never really meant those words, I made a call to Auerbach to check on it.

"So what did Phil say," Red grumbled. "That I said I was misquoted? About what?"

When told, Auerbach said "Well, what I said is true. What isn't criticism - it's true. He's done a fantastic job with the teams he's had - either Chicago or Los Angeles. All I said is that he never tried it the other way. He's never tried building a team and teaching the fundamentals ... When he's gone in there, they've been ready made for him. It's just a matter of putting his system in there. They don't worry about developing players if they're not good enough. They just go get someone else.

"But hey, when the guy has won as many close games as he has, he has got to be pretty damn good."

He goes into Springfield now shoulder to shoulder with Auerbach, an old hippie who made the commute between Woodstock and Albany before Krause ever brought him to Chicago, and West to the Lakers. Coyne, the old Patroons GM, still thinks about that telephone call from the American Legion Hall in Lima, Ohio.

"Had I not made it, who knows where his path would've taken him?" he said.

Now, it takes him to the Hall of Fame, where every coaching bust must measure itself with that of Phil Jackson. Red will roll over in his grave, but Jackson stands shoulder to shoulder with him into basketball's forever.

Lithuania limited Tony Parker to 11 points and defeated three-time champion France 88-73 on Monday to remain one of two unbeaten teams at the European Basketball Championship.

Sarunas Jasikevicius had 14 points and seven assists and set up Ramunas Siskauskas and Darius Songaila for key baskets.

"They were stronger than us, that's it," said Parker, who was held 14 points below his tournament average.

Also in Group F, Marco Belinelli scored six of his 17 points in overtime to help Italy eliminate Turkey 84-75.

Toronto Raptors center Andrea Bargnani had five of his 12 points in the extra period, as Italy overcame an early 15-point deficit.

"All of the game the team was waiting for Bargnani, and in overtime he showed he knows how to score and Turkey froze," Italy coach Carlo Recalcati said.

Turkey was led by 34 points from Hidayet Turkoglu.

Like Lithuania, Slovenia is 5-0 after routing Germany 77-47 -- a result that qualified France for the quarterfinals.

Lithuania plays Slovenia on Wednesday for the top spot in Group F. France, which already defeated Germany, plays last-place Turkey in its final game. The winner between Italy and Germany will clinch the group's final quarterfinals berth.

Jasikevicius hit a key 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to push Lithuania's lead back to double digits when France threatened.

With Lithuania denying the ball to Parker, the French looked lost. They forced passes and often were left with poor opportunities as the shot clock expired -- particularly in the final two minutes.

"They played us very well and very aggressive. They pressed Tony Parker well and stopped him from finding his spots," France coach Claude Bergeaud said. "We were not ready to play tonight. We couldn't get into our offense like we did against Germany."

Though Parker played 30 minutes, the San Antonio Spurs star said he never felt comfortable.

"I wanted to shoot more often, believe me, the problem was trying to get them off," he said. "They didn't give me many looks."

In the first half, Lithuania went on a 24-4 run to open up a 20-point lead. France answered with an 8-0 spurt to start the third quarter, with Florent Pietrus scoring five straight points.

France soon closed within five, but Jasikevicius set up Simas Jasaitis for a three-point play then found Siskauskas in the lane, as Lithuania stretched its lead to 68-56 late in the third.

"You see how difficult it is to win here -- I just hope at the right time we can come through with our form and win," Jasikevicius said. "Whoever makes it to the quarters can beat anyone."

Belinelli made two free throws to put Italy ahead 76-75 in overtime before Bargnani's 3-pointer stretched the lead to four. Bargnani later made two free throws with 1:09 left.

With the score tied 68-68 with 20 seconds remaining in regulation, Turkoglu made two free throws. Massimo Bulleri then evened the score with two more free throws, and Ibrahim Kutluay's last-second 3-point attempt was short.

"We lacked execution. We lacked the big moment, especially when it came to hitting the 3-pointer," Turkey coach Bogdan Tanjevic said.

Only two German players scored in the first quarter as Slovenia took control, 30-9. Dirk Nowitzki, the reigning NBA MVP, finished with a tournament-low 16 points.

A two-handed dunk from 6-foot-2 guard Goran Dragic, playing with a transparent face mask to protect a broken nose, punctuated Slovenia's dominance with 7:24 to play. By then, his team held an untouchable 69-37 lead.

Forward Matjaz Smodis led Slovenia with 22 points.

On Tuesday, defending champion Greece can claim one of the two remaining quarterfinal places from Group E with a win over Portugal. Croatia can do the same by beating Russia, while Israel plays Spain.

Dirk Nowitzki had 15 points and 10 rebounds Wednesday to lead Germany over Italy 67-58 and into the quarterfinals of the European Basketball Championship.

Nowitzki hit a 3-pointer with 4:49 to play in the fourth to extend Germany's lead to seven. The Dallas Mavericks star then made two free throws with 33 seconds to play.

Johannes Herber also scored 15 for Germany, including a key 3-pointer down the stretch.

Marco Belinelli, who limped off with an ankle injury midway through the second period but returned to play, led Italy with 25 points. Toronto Raptors center Andrea Bargnani added 10 points.

Germany will face world champion Spain in the quarters on Thursday.

Ramunas Siskauskas scored 21 points to help Lithuania beat Slovenia 80-61. Forward Darius Songaila of the Washington Wizards added 17 as the 2003 champions kept their unbeaten streak at the tournament.

Jaka Lakovic led Slovenia with 15 points and three steals.

Lithuania plays Croatia and Slovenia takes on defending champion Greece on Friday. Lithuania, Slovenia and France have already reached the quarterfinals, along with Russia, Greece and Croatia.

France beat winless Turkey 85-64 in a meaningless Group F game.

Boris Diaw led France with 18 points and Tariq Kirksay added 15. Tony Parker, France's best player, played only 21 minutes and scored six points.

"I don't know if you want to say it was a practice game, but we wanted to work on some stuff. And we wanted to win and we got some players some confidence," Kirksay said. "And now we have to be ready for tomorrow."

Kaya Peker led Turkey with 19 points.

"I hope this doesn't do immense damage to Turkish basketball," guard Engin Atsur said. "If you look at it, we have great talent, but we just couldn't make it as a team this year."

Nowitzki finished the third quarter on the bench, and Germany stretched its lead to 46-37 without him. The NBA MVP had eight points in the fourth.

Italy started fast. Belinelli, drafted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors, went 4-of-5 from the field in the first quarter to help Italy build an 18-12 lead.

Stefano Mancinelli scored Italy's only field goal of the second quarter with a layup with 14 seconds to go, but the game was tied at 27 at halftime.

Tony Parker missed a game-tying free throw with 7 seconds to play, and Russia went on to beat France 75-71 and reach the semifinals of the European Basketball Championship for the first time in 10 years.

Parker missed his second attempt before Zakhar Pashutin made two free throws for Russia.

Parker went back to the line on the ensuing possession, making his first attempt before missing the second on purpose. But Russia grabbed the rebound and Sergey Monya hit both free throws after being fouled with one second left.

"Of course I'm -- we're -- disappointed, the semis were the minimum we were aiming for," the San Antonio Spurs guard said. "Every time you lose it's hard. You can't compare one loss to another."

Spain moved a step closer to becoming only the third team to claim the European crown while holding the world title with an 83-55 win over Germany.

Jose Calderon scored 17 points to help Spain avenge a 74-73 semifinal loss to the Germans two years ago in the European Championship.

"Spain is the heavy favorite, they got a lot going for them, they've got a lot of shooters ... we didn't fight the way we should have fought for our country," Dirk Nowitzki said. "We cracked up a couple of times and didn't stick together and fight like we were supposed to fight."

Spain used its fast break to double a 13-point halftime lead to 64-38 with 1:23 to go in the third quarter, limiting Dirk Nowitzki, who was averaging 24.3 points per game, to four field goals and a tournament-low 11 points.

Rudy Fernandez and Juan Carlos Navarro added 12 each for Spain.

"We're exactly where we want to be. The team did an extraordinary job in all aspects, from covering each other on defense to getting out, it was a real team concept," Spain coach Pepu Hernandez said.

"Really, there were times when you looked out on the court and saw something spectacular going on."

Parker's 3-pointer with 1:26 to play had tied it at 69-69, but Jon Robert Holden's two free throws on the following play put Russia ahead for good.

"He's unbelievable, an X-factor for us," Russia forward Andrei Kirilenko said. "Every time something was going wrong, JR came through."

The American-born Holden also hit two 3-pointers down the stretch to finish with 15 points. He also limited Parker, who missed a game-tying free throw against Slovenia in the group stage, to 15 points.

"He struggled offensively through the first three quarters but I left him on because he was doing such a good job against Tony Parker," Russia coach David Blatt said. "When the time was right, he found the spot to make some big plays offensively."

Victor Khyrapa made all four 3-point attempts to lead Russia with 17 points and seven rebounds. Kirilenko made up for a lousy shooting day -- 2-for-11 for a tournament-low six points -- with seven steals.

Boris Diaw led France with 17 points.

Russia won the tournament 14 times as the Soviet Union but hadn't reached the last four since finishing with bronze in 1997.

Spain outscored Germany 27-8 on the fast break, capitalizing on 16 German turnovers.

After Jorge Garbajosa's jumper sparked an 8-0 run that put Spain ahead 17-8, Germany closed to 18-14, ending the period with Mihat Demirel's last-second 3-pointer.

With Germany edging closer, Navarro -- who averaged 25.2 points in the 2005 Euro finals but played only one game this tournament because of a knee injury -- hit a couple of 3-pointers to keep Spain ahead.

Nowitzki and Jan-Hendrik Jagla combined to limit Pau Gasol to four first-half points, but Calderon finished the half with a 3-pointer and a layup around Nowitzki to give Spain a 40-27 lead.

Gasol finished with seven points.

On Friday, unbeaten Lithuania plays Croatia, with the winner meeting Russia. Defending champion Greece faces Slovenia.

The Golden State Warriors are close to reaching a deal to rework coach Don Nelson's contract and bring him back for another season with the team.

"I am hopeful that we can finalize something by the close of the business week," team president Robert Rowell said Friday.

Nelson, who had two years left on the contract he signed last year, would get a raise from $3.1 million to $5.1 million a year under the new deal, according to the Contra Costa Times.

In exchange, the third year of the deal would convert to a team option, the paper said. If the option was not exercised, Nelson would $1 million under a five-year consulting deal with the team.

Nelson said at the end of the season that he wasn't sure if he'd return to the sidelines for a 29th season as an NBA coach. He originally said he'd make his decision by July 1, but talks dragged on all summer before nearing a resolution.

"It went on long enough," Nelson told the Contra Costa Times. "Negotiations could have gone on until training camp started, but I didn't want that."

Nelson, who turned 67 in May, went 42-40 in his first season back with Golden State, where he also coached from 1988-95. His 1,232 career coaching victories are the second-most in NBA history.

It was the most successful season in years for the Warriors, who had gone 12 straight seasons without a winning record or a playoff berth before Nelson's return.

Golden State clinched the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, then shocked the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round, beating the NBA's best regular-season team -- and Nelson's former employer -- in six games.

That was Golden State's first playoff series win since 1991 and just the third time an eighth seed had won an opening-round series.

The Warriors lost their second-round series in five games to Utah, although all of the losses were close.

The Warriors tinkered with their roster in the offseason to cater to Nelson's preferred small-ball style of play. Guard Jason Richardson was traded to Charlotte for the athletic big man Brandan Wright. The Warriors also drafted Italian guard Marco Belinelli, who fits well into the team's up-tempo style of play.

Golden State bought out the contract of little-used center Adonal Foyle and brought back swingman Matt Barnes, who excelled under Nelson.

Spain beat defending champion Greece and Russia defeated Lithuania on Saturday to reach the final of the European basketball championship on Sunday.

Pau Gasol of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies scored 23 points and Jose Calderon made some big plays down the stretch in Spain's 82-77 victory in the first semifinal.

In the second, Andrei Kirilenko had 29 points and three blocks, and Russia withstood 30 points from Ramunas Siskauskas for a 86-74 victory that put the Russians in their record 19th final.

"We showed that when we have to fight in difficult moments, we know how to respond," Calderon said. "It was a really tough game ... even the coaches had to play hard in this game. It was a war."

After the Toronto Raptors' Jorge Garbajosa hit two free throws to give Spain an 80-76 lead with 18 seconds to play, Theodoros Papaloukas lost the ball as he drove the lane. Juan Carlos Navarro, who also finished with 23 points, then hit two free throws at the other end. Calderon, a Raptors guard, scored 18 points.

Vassilis Spanoulis led Greece with 24 points and five assists in the game played before a capacity crowd of 15,500.

Spain reached its sixth final in a bid to become only the third nation to lift the European crown while holding the world title. It beat Russia 81-69 in the group stages.

The Spaniards set the tone against Greece from the start, taking a 37-26 lead with 5:16 to play in the second.

But Spanoulis scored seven points during a 13-4 run and Greece closed to 41-39 at halftime.

Siskauskas' 3-pointer cut Russia's lead to 65-61 to start the final period, but Utah Jazz forward Kirilenko and U.S.-born guard Jon Robert Holden responded to keep Lithuania from getting closer.

"This tournament we have not quit, not once," Russia coach David Blatt said. "In this tournament, we have played to win."

Holden finished with 18 points and Chicago Bulls forward Victor Khryapa chipped in 15 for Russia, which returned to the final for the first time in 15 years.

Russia held a 25-12 first period lead behind 67 percent shooting, but Lithuania slowly rallied, pulling within 40-33 at the half.

Siskauskas' jumper at 4:01 of the third capped a 17-9 run that drew Lithuania even for the first time.

But Kirilenko answered, scoring eight of Russia's next 13 points and blocking a dunk attempt as Russia moved back out 65-54.

"He's the best player in Russia, one of the best in the world," center Nikita Morgunov said of his teammate.

Greece will play Lithuania Sunday with the winner automatically qualifying for next summer's Olympic Games.

Earlier, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, who finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds, hit a clutch basket with 12 seconds to play as Germany rallied for a 69-65 win over Slovenia that gave the Germans a chance to qualify for next summer's Beijing games.

Croatia also earned a place in a pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in July with an 86-69 win over France, which got 18 points from San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker.

France will play Slovenia on Sunday for the last spot in the qualifying tournament. The two teams, along with Germany and Croatia, were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Spain had already clinched a place at next year's Beijing Olympics thanks to its world championship win over Greece last year.

Jon Robert Holden scored with two seconds remaining Sunday to lift Russia over Spain 60-59 in the final of the European Basketball Championship.

Holden stripped Spain center Pau Gasol with 27 seconds to play then pump-faked before his jump shot bounced high and in for the win. Gasol's jumper at the buzzer rattled out as time expired.

"This was a victory of David over Goliath. We faced the beast and knocked him down and won," Russia coach David Blatt said. "It's a historic event. I'm proud to be the person in charge of this historic journey."

Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko led Russia with 17 points as the Russians won their first European title in 22 years.

"This is the best achievement of my career. To beat the Spanish team in Spain was a very tough challenge," tournament MVP Kirilenko said. "We stayed together as a team and won this game."

Spain shot a tournament low 29 percent from the floor (17-of-59) and was outscored 26-10 in the post.

"We're not going to wash our dirty laundry in public," said Spain coach Pepu Hernandez when asked what went wrong. "This is still a very strong team, an exemplary one in fact. For me, it's the best Spanish team in history."

Jorge Garbajosa's 3-pointer put Spain in front after Russia had led for the first time when the American-born Holden made a layup at 9:02 to make it 51-49.

"From the fourth quarter you could feel them tightening up," Blatt said. "

But Gasol, who finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds, struggled from the foul line in the last five minutes -- making only 4-of-9. His last miss left the hosts leading 60-54 with 1:48 to play.

With 59 seconds to go, Kirilenko stole the ball from Carlos Jimenez to set up Nikita Morgunov as Russia narrowed the deficit to 59-58.

Kirilenko spent some time on the bench earlier in the game because he had four fouls. But before that, the Utah Jazz forward kept Russia in the game on successive plays in the third quarter, setting up Victor Khryapa for a reverse layup, blocking forward Felipe Reyes' dunk and making a 3-pointer to cut it to 43-39 with 4:12 to go.

Russia last won the European title when it was still the former Soviet Union.

Crown Prince Felipe presented the Russian players, led by the American-Israeli Blatt, with gold medals in front of the capacity crowd of 15,500 that hoped world champion Spain could win the title on its sixth try.

"It feels very nice, a little heavy," said Blatt while juggling the round, chunky gold trophy. "People say I should be getting a call from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin any time."

In the bronze-medal game, Lithuania qualified for next year's Beijing Olympics by finishing third after beating defending champion Greece 78-69.

Greece advanced to next year's pre-Olympic qualifying tournament.

Lithuania guard Sarunas Jasikevicius was upset with playing on each of the last three days.

"There's got to be some kind of respect for the team that finishes first in the group," the Golden State Warriors guard said. "No disrespect to Russia, but this is the reason we're not in the final. This is not right."

Greece coach Panagiotis Giannakis agreed that his team wasn't at its best because of the scheduling.

"The competition has to be equal, that's all," Giannakis said. "You can't play one team with 24 hours rest and another with 48 hours."

Earlier, Slovenia also joined Germany and Croatia in the pre-Olympic qualifying competition by beating France 88-74.

Tony Parker led France with 31 points. His jump shot near the end of the third quarter put France ahead 57-51, but Lakovic led Slovenia on a 21-4 run.

"We were looking for some stability and to try to go to the Olympics and now we are back to zero," Parker said. "It's kind of tough. We just have to use this as experience."

Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to give Germany an 80-71 win over Croatia in another consolation game.