U.S. men’s basketball ready for Argentina

LONDON – Once was enough. Carmelo Anthony doesn’t want to mess around against Argentina.

Not after a close call with Lithuania.

Anthony, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and the rest of the star-studded U.S. basketball team have now been tested at the London Olympics – and admittedly they weren’t quite prepared for it.

The NBA’s best players face another challenge tonight when they wrap up pool play against the Argentines, who at 3-1 are not to be overlooked. Anthony acknowledged the Americans might have been caught slightly off guard by Lithuania’s fight in a five-point victory Saturday.

“It was a little bit tighter than what we expected,” Anthony said before practice Sunday. “Lithuania was focused, and it kind of caught us on our heels. We won’t get caught on our heels again.”

James says the U.S. needs to get back to the basics against Argentina, which features NBA players Luis Scola and Manu Ginobili.

“We have to defend and we have to rebound,” James said. “It’s a very good team and we look forward to the challenge. They play as a team and that’s what it’s all about.”

Argentina is coming off Saturday’s 93-79 victory against Nigeria, a team the U.S. beat by 83.

Also on today’s schedule, Olympic all-around champion Gabby Douglas tries for a third gymnastics gold medal in the individual uneven bars – the first of her last two events at the London Games. Douglas, who also helped the U.S. capture its first Olympic team title since 1996, competes in the balance beam Tuesday.

On the men’s side, American Sam Mikulak competes in today’s vault final.

Today’s highlights

Gymnastics: individual event gold medal finals in men’s still rings, men’s vault, women’s uneven bars.

Track and field: gold medal finals in men’s 400 meters, men’s 400-meter hurdles, women’s pole vault.

Beach volleyball: quarterfinals continue.

Men’s diving: springboard qualifying.

Cycling: track gold medal final.