Basketball : U.S. 'B Team' kills opponents with kindness

By Steve Keating RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - If living up to the adage, "if you can't say something nice about someone, don't say anything at all," was an Olympic event the United States men's basketball team would be standing atop the Rio Games podium on Thursday. While this U.S. squad is more 'B Team' than 'Dream Team' with many top players, including four-time National Basketball Association most valuable player LeBron James and twice reigning MVP Stephen Curry, opting out, they remain the heavy favorites. If there was any thought the U.S. might be ripe for an upset in Rio, Team USA removed a good amount of that doubt with a dominating run-in to the Games that saw them thrash China, their opening night opponents, by 50 and 49 points in tune-up games.

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