on the boards.For Durant the game was a chance to play with a pair of his new Golden State teammates, Draymond Green and Kla

LAS VEGAS -- New team. Same old result.Full of new star power -- and dominant on the inside -- the U.S. mens basketball team opened its bid for a third straight Olympic gold medal Friday night with a 111-74 exhibition romp over Argentina.A game that was over almost before it began showed the U.S. has to improve its shooting and conditioning. It also showed that there is plenty of talent among a group of players that seem to want to play well for each other and their country despite the absence of Olympic stalwarts Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.Theres a willingness from these guys to work on anything we need and to work hard, coach Mike Krzyzewski said. These are very good guys.A U.S. team that hasnt lost a game in 10 years had little trouble with Argentina, which some consider a medal contender in Rio. Paul George scored 14 first-half points, Kevin Durant added 12, and the U.S. blew open the game early before an appreciative crowd on the Las Vegas Strip.Even with Bryant retired and James taking this Olympics off, there was no real talent drop off on a team heavily favored to win gold once again. The depth of the U.S. showed as coach Mike Krzyzewski rotated players in and out, searching for the right combinations on a team with 10 new players from 2012.Nothing is for sure, Durant said. We want to get this gold and right now we have a job to do. We have to prepare the right way.Count the Argentines among those who were impressed at the first real game for the Olympic team.Obviously, they have the best talent and the best size in the world, Argentinas Luis Scola said. Thats a big difference in their favor.The game was the first of five exhibitions the U.S. will play before traveling to Rio to defend the gold medal. The U.S. team has spent the last week practicing in Las Vegas in preparation for the tour and the games.There werent any opening night jitters, though the U.S. shot only 45 percent and missed all but 14 of 41 3-pointers. With DeMarcus Cousins pulling down 15 rebounds in just 16 minutes, the U.S. dominated inside, outrebounding Argentina 53-30.The big thing is getting in shape and they are not there where they will be, Krzyzewski said. But we really have an inside presence on the boards.For Durant the game was a chance to play with a pair of his new Golden State teammates, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. It was also a chance for Durant and Carmelo Anthony -- the only two players from the 2012 team -- to demonstrate that this will be their team in Rio.Both players cheered from the bench as the minutes were spread around, jumping up to clap for teammates. Every U.S. player got quality time, with Greens 12 minutes the least played by any American.Were going to have fun and were going to enjoy ourselves, Anthony said. If its not fun its not worth it. Were going to enjoy ourselves but at the same time were going to be focused in trying to get that gold medal.Durant finished as the games high scorer with 23 points, while George had 18 and Carmelo Anthony 17. Andres Nocioni had 15 for Argentina, while Manu Ginobili added 11 for Argentina, which lost to the U.S. in the semifinals of the 2012 Olympics.Though at times little defense was played, there was plenty of offense to keep the crowd at the new T-Mobile Arena happy. The teams combined to put up 70 3-point attempts, 41 of them from the U.S.Oddsmakers had made the U.S. a prohibitive 29.5-point favorite in what at times looked a lot like an NBA All-Star game. But while the U.S. team is loaded with 12 NBA players, the Argentines had only three on their roster and the talent difference showed.While the team is full of new players, the gold medal run will be the last for Krzyzewski, the national coach for the last decade. His teams have lost only one game during his reign, which will end after the Olympics with San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich taking over. Bacary Sagna France Jersey . -- Timbers coach Caleb Porter didnt stray from his business-like approach to the season even after Portland downed the two-time defending league champion Los Angeles Galaxy to gain crucial playoff position. Morgan Schneiderlin France Jersey .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. http://www.nationalfrancesoccer.com/customized/ . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. Yohan Cabaye France Jersey . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Samuel Umtiti Jersey . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said he offered some encouragement to Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson after Cleveland dropped its 12th game of the season.Jackson, the Bengals former offensive coordinator, was emotional after Cleveland lost to the New York Giants 27-13.Being 0-12 is probably ... the hardest thing ever, Jackson said Sunday.Jackson and Lewis are very close and have maintained regular contact in the form of texts or phone calls since Jackson left Cincinnati to take the Browns job, except during weeks they play each other. Lewis made sure to give Jackson a call after hearing about the press conference.I was told about it and just reached out and encouraged him, Lewis said.The two likely wont be talking much next week when the Bengals travel to Cleveland to face the Browns for the second time. Cincinnatis last win this season came against the Browns in October.I know theyve got the week off this week, so well get a ball of knives next week, Lewis said. Lucky us. Thats the way it goes.His best advice to a coach struggling like Jackson: It will get better.I think obviously, some days you question whether youre going to get through the next day because things seem to mount and pile on you, Lewis said. I think a lot of tiimes when people ask about what to expect, expect that the next day is going to be a little better.dddddddddddd Thats all I can tell you. And then the next year after that, and the next year after that, some of those things that seem so insurmountable that first season, you realize youre going to get through, things are going to work out and youre going to find a way and its going to work well for you. I think thats important in a tough season we all go through.Lewis is going through struggles of his own this year with the Bengals potentially heading toward one of their worst records in his 14-season tenure (he went 4-11-1 in 2008 and 4-12 in 2010).I think coaches work harder, turn over more stones, they become better coaches, better people when ... youre a touch off, he said.When youre winning, youre doing the same thing, youre just not questioned by the masses here. It doesnt change your outlook on things. I think the players have a hard time wondering why youre climbing up their butt when youre winning. Now they wont have to question that right now. Thats part of it. Its what we are in professional sports. ' ' '