U.S. whips Britain
U.S. whips Britain
in Olympic tune-up
Associated Press
MANCHESTER, England — Deron Williams was in, Carmelo Anthony out, and both were better for it.
Of course, it wouldn’t have mattered what lineup the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team used against an inexperienced and overmatched opponent.
Williams and Anthony responded to a lineup change with 19 points apiece, and the Americans beat Britain 118-78 on Thursday in an exhibition game.
LeBron James added 16 points and Russell Westbrook had 15 for the Americans, who built a 40-point lead early in the fourth quarter and every basket from there seemed to be a dunk.
Briton Wiggins clears
another Tour hurdle
BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON, France — Bradley Wiggins of Britain mastered a last big test in the mountains to retain the yellow jersey on Thursday, while Alejandro Valverde of Spain won the 17th stage of the Tour de France.
After ascending the last huge climb, Wiggins said he sensed victory with just three racing days left. He’s trying to become the first Briton to win cycling’s biggest race. Wiggins faces one last test — the individual time trial, his specialty — Saturday.
Valverde, the Movistar leader who returned from a two-year doping ban this year, won his third Tour stage in a breakaway. Christopher Froome of Britain was second, and his Sky team leader Wiggins was third, both 19 seconds back.
Rafael Nadal pulls
out of Olympics
MADRID — Defending champion Rafael Nadal pulled out of the London Olympics on Thursday with an undisclosed injury, leaving the tennis competition without one of its leading stars and robbing Spain’s team of its flag bearer for the opening ceremony.
Nadal won the French Open for a record seventh time but has struggled with left knee problems at times during the season. Shortly after winning his 11th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, he lost to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon.