12 Sep 2010

US cruise into basketball World Champs final

8:51 am on 12 September 2010

World championship favourites the United States marched into the final with an 89-74 win over Lithuania thanks to another effervescent performance by their top player Kevin Durant.

The 21-year-old forward scored 38 points, including 27 in the first half, as the U.S. toyed with Lithuania after the east Europeans took an 11-9 lead early on.

The U.S., looking for their first world title since 1994, replied with a 12-0 run and Durant racked up 17 points at the end of the first quarter to put his team 23-12 ahead.

The Americans shot only three of 16 from three-point range in the first half but opened up a commanding 42-27 lead on the back of 20 defensive rebounds

Hosts Turkey play the tournament's surprise package Serbia in the other semi-final later on Sunday.