Greece stuns Team USA in semis

~ The previously unbeaten U.S. team lost 101-95.

SAITAMA, Japan -- Fed up with its recent failures, the United States assembled a new program with new plan.

The end result was all too familiar.

Greece used a sizzling stretch of shooting across the middle two quarters to turn a 12-point deficit into a 14-point lead, and beat the Americans 101-95 Friday in the semifinals of the world championships.

"To lose any game is a shock to us," U.S. star Carmelo Anthony said. "We came in with the mentality to win the game and the gold medal."

Instead, the best Anthony can do now is add another bronze to his collection.

Greece (8-0) can earn a world title to go with the European championship it won in 2005 with a victory over Spain in Sunday's gold-medal game. Spain (8-0) beat Argentina 75-74 on Friday night.

"They played like a champion plays," U.S. forward Shane Battier said of Greece.

The Americans will have to wait at least two more years to remember what that feels like.

Done in again by their inept 3-point shooting -- and they weren't much better from the foul line -- the Americans fell short of a championship in a major international tournament for the third straight time since winning gold at the 2000 Olympics.

The Greeks -- with no current NBA players on their roster -- danced in a circle at halfcourt after their victory.

"Big players play big games," said guard Theodoros Papaloukas, the MVP of the European final who had 12 assists Friday. "And today I think we played very good."

The U.S. (7-1) will return to the court today against Argentina (7-1), hoping to match the bronze medal it left Athens with in 2004.

Anthony scored 27 points for the Americans, who couldn't overcome their 32 percent shooting from 3-point range or 59 percent from the foul line. Dwyane Wade added 19 and LeBron James had 17, but the three U.S. captains were unable to make up for their disappointment from Athens.

Vassilis Spanoulis, bound for the Houston Rockets, scored 22 points for Greece. Mihalis Kakiouzis added 15 and 6-foot-10 Sofoklis Schortsianitis -- nicknamed "Baby Shaq" -- added 14, shooting 6-of-7.

In Greece, thousands gathered in the streets, waved flags and honked car horns. Traffic information screens flashed the final score, and drivers abandoned cars to join celebrating crowds.

Continuously burning the Americans' poor defense against the pick-and-roll, the Greek team shot 63 percent (35-of-56) from the field and made 31 of 44 shots over the final three periods.

The Americans, who put together a national team program this year for the first time, now will be forced to qualify for the 2008 Olympics next summer.