U.S. Beats Turkey 114-82 in Exhibition Game Before Olympics

U.S. Beats Turkey 114-82 in Exhibition Game Before Olympics

The U.S. men's basketball team defeated Turkey 114-82 at the International Basketball Challenge, their first warm-up game in China before the Beijing Games.

LeBron James, who recovered from a sprained ankle, led the U.S. scoring with 20 points. Carmelo Anthony scored 17 points and Dwight Howard added 14. Turkey's Cenk Akyol, drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2005 draft, led all scorers with 22 points.

``It's good to have LeBron back,'' U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters after the game. ``It's a good opening exhibition in China.''

The U.S. is seeking its first Olympic gold medal since 2000 after claiming bronze at the 2004 Athens Games. The U.S. team dropped three of its eight games in Athens, its first losses since National Basketball Association players were permitted in the Olympics in 1992.

The U.S. plays Lithuania tomorrow and then Russia and Australia in Shanghai before heading to Beijing. The U.S. opens the Olympics against host China and center Yao Ming on Aug. 10. Other teams in Group B are Angola, Germany, Greece and Spain.