Image by truthaboutit via FlickrISTANBUL (AP)—The United States eased its way to a top seed in the knockout round of the world championship, beating Iran 88-51 on Wednesday in the first meeting between the longtime political rivals.
The U.S. team, which downplayed the political aspect of the matchup, methodically pulled away in the first half, wearing down the Asian champions with its depth and athleticism.
Kevin Love scored 13 points and Kevin Durant 12 for the Americans (4-0), who will meet the fourth-place team from Group A in the round of 16.
The tensions between the nations’ governments provided the backdrop off the court, where before the game a group of fans sitting near midcourt held U.S. and Iran flags with a sign reading “PEACE” in between.
But the only sparring on the floor was a playful bump between Haddadi and U.S. forward Rudy Gay, teammates with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.
The U.S. team tried to keep the focus on the floor, with Krzyzewski saying he had played in Iran in the 1970s with an Armed Forces team and had great respect for the country.
“We are just here to play basketball,” Durant said Monday. “The political situation is something we cannot control. We have to go and just play the game of basketball.”
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