U.S. men's basketball team makes impression

BRISBANE, Australia -- The U.S. men's basketball team at the Goodwill Games is making plenty of believers.

First, it was Phil Smyth, coach of the Australian team. Then, it was five-time Australian Olympian Andrew Gaze. Finally, it was the Mexican team.

Smyth said the Americans were better than last year's gold medal-winning Olympians after they beat the Australians 109-76 in an exhibition game last week.

Gaze echoed Smyth's words during halftime of the Americans' 132-58 destruction of Mexico in the opening game of the Goodwill tournament Monday.

"I think they probably could beat last year's Olympic team," he said.

After the record-setting victory, the Mexicans had nothing but overwhelming esteem for the Americans, the prohibitive favorites to win their second straight Goodwill title and third overall.

"They have 12 guys, and even their last five guys are unbelievable players," said Mexico center David Crouse, who played at Southern California.

Early in the third period, the Americans scored on three consecutive dunks -- a spectacular alley-oop by Jermaine O'Neal, a reverse by Shawn Marion and a one-handed dunk by Wally Szczerbiak.

"There was a lot of good chemistry out there," U.S. coach Flip Saunders said. "We played hard defense and shared the basketball."

Seven U.S. players scored in double figures, led by Rashard Lewis with 21 points and Szczerbiak with 20. Mike Miller contributed 16.