Men's basketball

When the permanent standard against Angola is the 1992 Dream Team's 68-point victory, it is just about impossible for any subsequent U.S. Olympic basketball team to win by an adequate amount.

Even so, the Americans continued to leave room to grow after Tuesday's 97-76 defeat of Angola in Group B preliminary play.

"I still don't think we've played anywhere close to our best basketball," said Jazz guard Deron Williams.

One of these nights, the U.S. team may need to start making some outside shots. Forcing turnovers and converting them into fast breaks has enabled the Americans to average 99 points in 40 minutes of basketball, but their outside game remains suspect - even with a 20-foot, 6-inch three-point line, considerably shorter than the NBA specifications.

Three-point shooting was a problem in Athens in 2004 and nothing has changed in Beijing. After Kobe Bryant went 0-for-8 Tuesday, the Americans are 12-for-45 in the tournament.

They still won convincingly, leading by 33 points before coasting. Dwyane Wade led the U.S. team with 19 points.

Williams added seven points and four assists in 22 minutes and Jazz teammate Carlos Boozer posted two points and two rebounds in 11 minutes.

Next up for the Americans is Thursday's meeting with Greece, which upset the U.S. entry in the semifinals of the 2006 World Championship

Russia sputters against Croatia

Russia won the European championship last summer, while Croatia had to qualify to play in the Olympics this summer.

Advantage, Croatia.

"They've been through the fire already and played a lot of high-level games," said Russia coach David Blatt, explaining how his team was less prepared for the Olympics.

Croatia took an 85-78 victory in a Group A preliminary game Tuesday, holding off every comeback attempt by Russia in the second half.

Zoran Planincic came off the bench to score 20 points on 7-for-9 shooting for Croatia (2-0). Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko posted 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots for Russia (1-1).

J.R. Holden, an American guard who plays professionally in Russia and was granted citizenship to join the Olympic team, went 2-for-10 and scored five points. Holden had scored 20 points Sunday against Angola.

Argentina takes it out on Aussies

Andrew Bogut's Australian team caught Argentina at the wrong time in the Olympic basketball tournament.

Upset by Lithuania in its opening game, an Argentine team loaded with NBA players responded with an 85-68 defeat of Australia in Group A play Tuesday.

Bogut, the former University of Utah center, struggled as he continued to play with a sore ankle. He was held to seven points and four rebounds in 24 minutes. Patrick Mills led Australia (0-2) with 22 points.

Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs paced Argentina with 21 points and Luis Scola of the Houston Rockets added 17. Argentina made 11 of 22 three-point shots.

Track & field

U.S. runners stripped of record

Track and field's ruling body has scrapped the 1,600-meter relay world record set by the United States in 1998 because of Antonio Pettigrew's admission of doping.

Pettigrew, Michael Johnson, Tyree Washington and Jerome Young set the record of 2 minutes, 54.20 seconds.

IAAF president Lamine Diack said Tuesday his group wants to send a message that it will not tolerate doping.

The previous world record of 2:54.29 was set by the United States in 1993.

Pettigrew said in court in May that he had used performance-enhancing drugs.

- Combined news services