Rudy Gay scored 19 points and Chauncey Billups added 17 to spark the US past France 86-55 on Sunday in an exhibition game for both teams at Madison Square Garden ahead of the World Basketball Championships.
Gay sank 7-of-12 from the field while 13-year NBA veteran Billups, a leader on a young US lineup, went 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range in 15 minutes on the court.
The Americans led 39-30 at half-time, went 10-of-16 from the field in the third quarter to boost their edge to 64-46 and stretched the margin even more until the final whistle.
PHOTO: AFP
The US team were due to depart yesterday for Madrid and a four-day training camp that starts today ahead of exhibition games against Lithuania, Spain and Greece before they open the world tournament in Turkey against Croatia on Aug. 28.
Kevin Durant added 14 points and eight rebounds for the US squad, which pulled away thanks to a 16-4 run early in the third quarter. Billups sank two 3-pointers and made a 3-point play in the pivotal span.
Boris Diaw scored 15 points and Nicolas Batum added 11 for France, which had support from the stands from French NBA star Tony Parker, his actress-wife Eva Longoria Parker and recent New York Knicks acquisition Ronny Turiaf of France.
Before the games the US reduced its roster to 13 players on Sunday, cutting Jeff Green and JaVale McGee.
Cutting McGee leaves Tyson Chandler as the only true center on the US roster.
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo then informed them of the decision on Sunday morning.
The US must cut one more before the world championships.
Meanwhile, Carlos Arroyo scored 16 points to lead Puerto Rico past China 92-76 in their exhibition game on Sunday.
Puerto Rico, which pulled away in the fourth quarter after a China rally, also had 12 points each from Peter John Ramos and Elias Ayuso plus 11 points and 10 assists from J.J. Barea.
Wang Shipeng led China with 20 points while Sun Yue added 17.
Yi Jianlian of the NBA Washington Wizards hit only 3-of-15 shots for 11 points as China hit only 33 percent overall from the field despite a 13-of-24 performance from 3-point range, going just 11-of-48 from inside the arc.
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