U.S. breezes into quarters

ISTANBUL - Before it can win a world championship, the United States needed to start looking like a world champion.

Kevin Durant, Chauncey Billups and the rest of the Americans finally had that appearance yesterday, powering into the quarterfinals with a 121-66 victory over Angola.

“Obviously we want to stay humble, but at the same time we have to know that we can do it,” forward Kevin Love said. “We know regardless of what people are saying, that we still are the favorites and we should play and really act like it, too.”

They did, opening the knockout round with a quick knockout.

With Billups scoring 16 of his 19 points and Durant all of his 17 in the first half, the Americans saved their most impressive performance in Istanbul for the elimination stage, overwhelming the Angolans from the start after a couple of lackluster performances to close the group stage.

“We don’t want to be a team that’s going to turn it on and off,” Durant said. “I think of course we’re playing with a little more sense of urgency when you know if you lose, you go home. Guys came out and responded from those last two games.”

The U.S. forced turnovers that led to easy baskets in transition, and when forced into the halfcourt, shot 18-of-38 from 3-point range, one off the team record for 3s at worlds.

“Our guys were sharp,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay also scored 17 for the Americans, who will face Russia on Thursday night. Gordon was 5-of-6 behind the arc.

Joaquim Gomes, who played at Valparaiso, scored 21 for Angola, which finished fourth in Group A. The Angolans advanced on a tiebreaker by virtue of their overtime victory over Germany, but had lost by 50 to Serbia, and 21 apiece to Argentina and Australia.

They were no match for the Americans, who had won the teams’ four meetings in the Olympics, starting with a 116-48 romp in the Dream Team’s debut in Barcelona in 1992, straight through to a 97-76 victory in Beijing two years ago.