United States, Argentina will clash in semifinal

Stephon Marbury's team-record 31 points led the U.S. past Spain, 102-94.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- The United States and Argentina will go after each other again in the Olympic men's basketball semifinals, and if their latest performances carry over, it'll be difficult for the South American rivals to win.
The U.S. team broke out of a shooting slump that had spanned the entire tournament, getting a team-record 31 points from Stephon Marbury and making 12 3-pointers to defeat previously undefeated Spain 102-94 on Thursday.
Argentina, which made history in 2002 by becoming the first team ever to defeat a U.S. squad of NBA players, reached Saturday's semis with a 69-64 victory over Greece.
Lithuania and Italy, both of which recently defeated the United States, will meet in the other semifinal. Lithuania defeated China 95-75, and Italy downed Puerto Rico 83-70.
"Just a few years ago we would play the U.S. for the fun of it and try to keep the difference as low as possible," Argentina's Walter Herrmann said. "Now we can compete with them. We're an equal team, even though they have the stars. If we focus and play according to our game plan, we'll have a very good chance against them."
Chances may be slim
But if Argentina plays as poorly as it did for long stretches against Greece, and if the Americans continue to show as much improvement as they did against Spain, Argentina's chances are slim.
The U.S. squad simply isn't the same team it was shortly after its arrival in Greece. Shots are starting to fall, the players' confidence keeps growing and they're beginning to look like the team to beat.
Who'd have figured? Especially after they lost opening round games to Puerto Rico and Lithuania.
"Guys are well aware of how we've been playing from the beginning of the Olympics. Guys' mindsets are that if we don't come out and we don't play from the jump, these teams are so good, we're not going to give ourselves the opportunity to win," Marbury said.
Unfriendly finish
In a game that ended with the opposing coaches swearing and pointing at one another, Marbury's point total surpassed the mark of 30 points shared by Charles Barkley (1992 vs. Brazil) and Adrian Dantley (1976 vs. Yugoslavia), and his six 3s broke the record of five set by Reggie Miller against China in 1996.
The Americans finished 12-for-22 on 3-pointers after shooting a tournament-low 24 percent in their first five games.