The most impressive part about the United States’ 156-73 destruction of Nigeria in the preliminary round of the men’s basketball tournament at the 2012 London Olympics was Carmelo Anthony’s 37 points in 14 minutes.

Think about it. Melo made13 of 16 shots from the field and was 10-for-12 from behind the 3-pointer arc (a couple of feet shorter than the NBA line). He did all that in 14 minutes! That’s not even a complete half of basketball. Had Anthony played another 14 minutes he could have easily reached 60 points, which would have broken Oscar Schmidt’s single-game mark of 55 points.

Anthony set the U.S. Olympic mark for points in a game in less than three quarters, breaking Stephon Marbury’s old record of 31 points set in the 2004 Athens Olympics. The U.S. also set the Olympic record for points in a game and points in a half (78), as well as most 3-pointers (26), field goals (59) and best field-goal percentage (71).

“Well, obviously, we just shot better than any team in a game that I have ever coached,” said USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski. “Our guys just couldn’t miss tonight, and they shared the ball.”

The U.S. had a record-tying 41 assists, including 11 assists from Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers). Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) scored 21 points, Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), who played in the first half only, had 16, Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves) had 15; Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder) finished with 14; and Deron Williams (Brooklyn Nets) had 13 points and was 3-for-3 from 3-point range.

“Well, the support system that we had, that I had with my teammates, you can’t explain that,” Anthony said. “The way that they tell me to shoot the ball, encouraging me to make shots, take shots, but then just to feel it every time, that touch, it’s kind of hard to explain it. If you’ve never done it, you really wouldn’t understand what I’m talking about just in terms of shooting the ball and shooting it well.”

The USA opened with a 13-0 run and had nearly set the record for team 3-pointers made in the first 10 minutes, shooting 11-of-14 from behind the arc in the first quarter – four of those came from Anthony, and three were by Durant. Nigeria tried to slow the pace with timeouts at 7:16 and 2:06, but its efforts were in vain as the first-quarter buzzer sounded on the USA’s highest scoring quarter of the tournament, 49-25.

“It’s funny to see, man, Durant said. “What Carmelo did was unbelievable. Hopefully we keep it up. We passed the ball well, our guys were knocking down our shots, our point guards made sure we got open shots and we were able to knock them down. So, it was a fun game.”

The previous U.S. Olympic high had been 133 points set by the 1996 squad against China, and the previous all-time Olympic high was 138 points, which was recorded by Brazil in a win over Egypt in 1988.

“It’ll go down in history,” said Andre Iguodala, whose 3-pointer with less than five minutes to play in the fourth quarter broke the scoring record. “It only matters if we achieve our goals. We’re trying to get better as a team going forward. That’s three games down and a few more to go. Our mission is to get the gold and we’re trying to peak at the right time.”

FIBA.com and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Russia and Brazil offered the best game of the 2012 London Olympics so far. Most of the preliminary basketball games have been blowouts, but not this one. From start to finish, the game went back-and-forth and you’ll never see a better final minute of action in any Olympics hoops game.

It started with a turnover by Brazilian point guard Marcelo Huertas that gave the ball back to Russia with 44 seconds left and down by three. Russia guard Alexey Shved, who will play for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012-13, tied the game at 72 with a clutch 3-pointer from the wing.

After a timeout, Huertas atoned for his earlier mistake and put Brazil ahead 74-72 with six seconds left on a clever off-balance scoop shot off a screen from Nene, the starting center for the Washington Wizards.

Russia coach David Blatt, who is an American-Israeli, drew up a beautiful sideline play that set up the game-winner. Shved inbounded the ball to a cutting Vitaly Fridzon, who was able to launch a 3-pointer despite being knocked off balance by Brazilian guard Leandro Barbosa.

Barbosa, who played for the Toronto Raptors last season, may have been trying to foul Fridzon before the shot, but the Russian foiled that plan and buried the dagger 3-pointer despite having his feet taken out by a diving Barbosa. Fridzon gave Russia a 75-74 lead with four seconds left. Brazil had one last desperation heave at the buzzer, but Barbosa’s shot hit the backboard and never had a chance of going in. Russia survives and stays undefeated with a one-point victory.

Andrei Kirilenko, who signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, led Russia with 19 points. Tim Mozgov (Denver Nuggets) had 18 and Shved finished with 17. Barbosa led Brazil with 16 points.

The world may have gained ground on the United States in terms of basketball skill and talent, but the U.S. still has the perfect weapon against international competition: Kobe Bryant.

When the 2012 Summer Games kick off in London, the Americans will be favored to win the men’s basketball competition but they’ll get tested by international powers such as Spain (ranked No. 2 by FIBA), Russia (3), Argentina (4), Lithuania (6), Brazil (7),  and France (8).

Spain is led by the Gasol brothers (Pau and Marc), Russia has Andre Kirilenko and Tim Mozgov, Brazil boasts Leandro Barbosa, Nene and Anderson Varejao, and France is powered by Spurs star Tony Parker. Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola are the top guns for Argentina, the 2004 Olympic gold medalists, while Lithuania features Raptors rookie Jonas Valanciunas and Linas Kleiza.

“It’s a big challenge for us. The rest of the world kinda feels like the gap is continuing to shorten and they feel like they can beat us,” Bryant said. “We’re a fun bunch, joking around and laughing. But we know what’s at stake and we know what we’re representing. Come Olympic time we’re going to be ready to go and going to bring back the medal to the U.S.”

Because the U.S. is not familiar with a lot of the teams they’ll face in London, Bryant believes paying extra attention to detail is very critical to the team’s approach each and every game.

“In the NBA we do a great amount of preparation,” Bryant said. “Against these teams we have to do that even more because we don’t know most of their guys.

“We really have to do our homework and get to know their tendencies.”

Bryant’s supreme confidence was so contagious around the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing he almost single-handedly made everyone forget about the catastrophic loss to Greece in the 2006 World Championship (now renamed the World Cup of Basketball).

When the 2008 Olympic team — which included LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams, and Dwyane Wade — got pushed to the limit by Spain in the gold medal game it was Bryant who pushed right back and carried the U.S. to the finish line.

“He’s the ultimate competitor,” USA Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski said of Bryant, who averaged 15 points in the Beijing Olympics. “He’ll do anything to help the team win. And in pressure moments there’s no one any better. He wants the ball or he wants to guard the ball. He was born to be in those moments, and he’s prepared himself for those moments.”

Kobe is one of the few NBA players whose game adapts seamlessly to the FIBA level. Having grown up in Italy, there’s a lot of European influence in Bryant’s game and he can play any style: inside, outside, 3-point shots, dribble drives. He also doesn’t shy away from physical play, which is a big adjustment for NBA players because of the inconsistency in officiating and the amount of contact that is allowed in FIBA tournaments.

At 33, this is most likely Bryant’s last Olympic experience. He would love to add another gold medal to go along with his five NBA championship rings. Like he previously stated, the U.S. will be challenged in London, but as long as the Black Mamba is on his game Team USA is in good hands.

The U.S. men’s basketball team looked a little bit out of sync in its Olympic tuneup Monday night against Brazil in Washington, D.C., and with good reason.

The Brazilians certainly had a hand in forcing Team USA out of its comfort zone, but the more likely excuse was the added pressure of having to perform in front of the 44th President of the United States.

President Barack Obama, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, were among the sellout crowd at the Verizon Center to watch Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and the rest of the American squad that will represent the United States in the 2012 Summer Games in London.

When the president walked over to his courtside seat prior to tipoff, all eyes in the arena were fixated on the jumbotron. Durant, who grew up in the D.C. area, couldn’t help notice the presence of the leader of the free world in the arena, as did teammates Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Tyson Chandler, Chris Paul, LeBron, Kobe, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, James Harden, Andre Iguodala, Carmelo Anthony, and Anthony Davis.

“You have dreams about being in the NBA. You have dreams about making the game-winning shot at the buzzer. You never have dreams about having the president actually watching you play, because you don’t think it’s possible,” LeBron told The Associated Press.

“It’s definitely humbling, to see him here, the first lady and their kids here to watch us play. Really, it’s amazing.”

The added distraction may have contributed to the team’s slow start, as Brazil jumped to a 27-17 lead in the first quarter. The Americans erased any upset bids in the second quarter when they turned it up defensively and held Brazil to just five points in the second quarter. The U.S. took a 32-32 lead into halftime.

“Between Nene, Varejao, and Barbosa, they have a good team. It took a while for our guys to kind of get in a rhythm,” Obama told ESPN’s Mark Jones. “We’re so much deeper that you get a sense they’ll wear them down. I don’t think it’ll be close in the second half.”

Well, Obama’s second-half prediction didn’t quite happen as the Brazilians kept the game close and didn’t allow the Americans to run them out of the gym. The U.S. eventually pulled out an 80-69 victory thanks to LeBron’s game-high 30 points (including 14 in the fourth quarter). It was a far more difficult challenge than the 113-59 blowout win against the Dominican Republic in Las Vegas on July 12.

Despite the disjointed performance against Brazil, President Obama is confident LeBron and Co. will right the ship once the Olympics start on July 27.

“Coach K is one of the greatest coaches of all time. He knows how to bring folks together and think like a team. And obviously the talent that we have at this point is unbelievable. There’s no reason we shouldn’t bring home the gold,” Obama said.

“One thing I’m happy about is how hard everybody is playing,” Obama continued. “You really get a sense on how proud they are to represent the United States, and I think they’ll conduct themselves really well in London.”

As for the 1992 Olympic team vs. 2012 Olympic team debate, add President Obama to the list of people who disagree with Kobe’s recent boast that this year’s USA team could beat the Dream Team, led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley.

“I was around in ’92. I was a Bulls fan so I gotta go with the original Dream Team,” Obama said. “And I suspect that Michael [Jordan] and Sir Charles [Barkley] would point out that they were never down at any point of their games.”

Obama added, “You know, Kobe’s a competitor, so you expect him to do a little trash talking whenever the opportunity arises.”

Since stunning a United States team loaded with NBA players in the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis and capturing the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, Argentina has been universally recognized as a powerhouse in FIBA competition.

Led by San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, arguably Argentina’s greatest player, the South Americans have been a fixture in the medal rounds in the Olympics and World Championships for a decade. But since its fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Championships, Argentina appears to have lost some of its magic as its core group continues to log serious mileage.

Argentina is currently No. 3 in the FIBA world rankings, only behind the United States and Spain. Despite its top-five standing, Argentina is no longer a cinch to win a medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London as Greece, Lithuania, Turkey, Italy, France and Brazil – the team Argentina defeated in the championship game of the the 2011 FIBA Tournament of the Americas – are hot on its tail and have more young talent in their programs.

Argentina’s big names are still there: Ginobili, Luis Scola, Fabrico Oberto, Andres Nocioni, Pepe Sanchez and Carlos Delfino. Ginobili and Scola are still regarded as two of the best players in the world, but the rest of the squad is looking very old and there seems to be a drought in terms of young talent in Buenos Aires.

Ginobili turned 34 this summer and Scola is 31. At 36, Oberto is way past his prime and even though Nocioni is two years younger than Ginobili his reckless style has caught up with him and his legs seem like they are ready to retire. Delfino is one of the youngest frontline players on the roster and he’s 29.

The 2012 Olympics will more than likely be this group’s last hurrah. Ginobili could try for another Olympic run in four years, but he’ll be 38 and his body may prevent him from playing. Scola doesn’t rely on athleticism so he may still be an effective player in four years. But for the rest of the core players, four years is a very, very long shot.

While the Argentines continue to hang their sombreros on international vets, the other South American hoops powerhouse, Brazil, has rebuilt its program behind a familiar face. Ruben Magnano, who guided Argentina to a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics, was brought in to coach Brazil in 2010. A year later, Magnano has the Brazilians playing their best ball since the Oscar Schmidt era, earning one of the automatic qualifying berths for the 2012 Olympics after reaching the final of the 2011 FIBA Americas.

What was more impressive about Brazil’s run in the FIBA Americas was it reached the final without the help of NBA stars Leandro Barbosa, Nene and Anderson Varejao, who all decided to skip the tournament.

While Argentina leans heavily on Scola and Ginobili on offense, Brazil has a more balanced approach that features the playmaking skills of point guard Marcelo Huertas, who plays for Regal FC Barcelona. Spurs center Tiago Splitter is the only NBA player on Brazil’s roster at FIBA Americas, but he has had minimal impact offensively. The Brazilians have won eight of nine games, including an impressive 73-71 victory over Argentina. Its only loss came against the Dominican Republic in the early round, but it avenged that loss in the knockout round by defeating the Dominicans (led by Al Horford, Francisco Garcia and Charlie Villanueva), 83-76, in the semifinals.

Argentina had a much tougher matchup in the semis, but it managed to squeeze past a rugged Puerto Rico squad (led by J.J. Barea and Carlos Arroyo), 81-79, behind 27 points from Scola and 23 from Ginobili. Scola saved his best for last as he poured in 32 points to power Argentina to a 80-75 win over Brazil in the final.

As long as Scola and Ginobili are healthy, Argentina remains a powerful force and medal contender.

Despite the absence of forwards Nene and Anderson Varejao, Brazil came within a basket of tying the United States at the end of regulation in Monday’s Group B matchup in the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

Fortunately for the Americans, Leandro Barbosa took the point-blank shot and – not surprisingly – missed. It was essentially a layup, and Barbosa blew it. He played well when his team was rolling, scoring eight points and making three of his five field-goal attempts in the first quarter. But when it mattered most, he crumbled under pressure. Barbosa shot just 2-for-13 the rest of the game and 3-for-13 from 3-point range.

Playing “small” in “big” games has haunted Barbosa for much of his NBA career, and it was probably the reason why he was traded this offseason from Phoenix to Toronto. During his time with the Suns when the team was out in front and playing loose, Barbosa (aka The Brazilian Blur) was at his best: penetrating, dishing, scoring. He is one of the best front-runners in the NBA.

“Leandro Barbosa is one of the best international players in the world,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski told FIBA.com.

At times, when The Brazilian Blur has it going, he’s nearly unstoppable. A career 12-point scorer in the NBA, Barbosa can score on anyone, and his first step maybe one of the quickest in the world.

But when the game gets in a halfcourt set and every possession is valued, Barbosa becomes tentative and his ball tends to get a little heavy. That’s Leandro Barbosa in a nutshell.

He had an opportunity to bail out his teammate Marcelo Huertas , who missed the first free throw and had to intentionally miss the second with time winding down. Huertas found Barbosa near the basket for the game-tying shot, but The Brazilian Blur got a little blurry and blinked. He missed a bunny!

Had he made THAT SHOT against the U.S., he could have been the hero of the tournament thus far and given his country an incredible opportunity for a monumental upset.

Had he made THAT SHOT, the Suns could rescind the trade (OK, maybe not).

But, he missed.

The United States escaped with a 70-68 victory and remained undefeated. Meanwhile, after winning its first two ballgames, the Brazilians have dropped their last two. They lost 80-77 on Wednesday to Slovenia, dropping them to third place in Group B.