Worlds Capsules

ISTANBUL (AP) - Kevin Durant scored 14 points and got the United States started on a dominant second-quarter stretch in a 106-78 victory over Croatia on Saturday in its opening game at the world championship.

Eric Gordon made four 3-pointers and had 16 points to lead the Americans, who turned a close game into a blowout by limiting the Croatians to six points in the second quarter.

It was an impressive start for a U.S. team that came to Turkey without any players who helped them win the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics.

All 12 players scored for the Americans, as coach Mike Krzyzewski was able to give his starters plenty of rest with the U.S. playing its three toughest Group B games in the first three days of the tournament.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 17 points and Marko Popovic added 16 for Croatia, which once was among the world's best teams but hadn't played in the world championship since winning a bronze medal in 1994.

David Andersen had 22 points, including two late free throws, and Australia survived the upset bid of Jordan. Center Alex Maric had 23 points and nine rebounds for Australia, which didn't take its first lead until the end of the third quarter.

Rasheim Wright had 16 points for Jordan but he missed a layup in the final seconds.

Aleksandar Rasic scored 22 points for Serbia, which played without two of its best players. Center Nenad Krstic was suspended for three games by FIBA and guard Milos Teodosic was suspended for two for their roles in a brawl against Greece in a warmup tournament earlier this month.

Olimpio Cipriano led Angola with 10 points.

Goran Dragic, Steve Nash's backup with the Phoenix Suns, had 16 points and eight assists to lead Slovenia, which was 9 of 13 from the field in the first quarter.

Radhouane Slimane had 11 points for Tunisia, which is making its first appearance in the world championships.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Nikolaos Zisis and Ioannis Bourousis both scored 21 points to lead Greece.

Yi Jianlian of the Washington Wizards had 26 points to lead China, which closed within 81-79 but got no closer.

Sergey Monya scored 16 points to lead Russia's balanced attack. Timofey Mozgov, a 7-foot-1 center who signed with the New York Knicks this offseason, and Sasha Kaun both added 13 points for Russia.

Jose Juan Barea of the Dallas Mavericks scored 25 points for Puerto Rico.

Linas Kleiza scored 27 points and Paulius Jankunas added 15 for Lithuania, which took off with a 10-0 run in the second quarter.

Kirk Penney had 37 points to lead New Zealand.

Fadi El Khatib, known to his countrymen as “The Tiger,” scored 31 points to lead Lebanon. The 6-foot-6 El Khatib was 5 of 5 from the field and scored 16 points in the third quarter. Matt Freije, a former All-SEC player at Vanderbilt, hit a 3-pointer that gave Lebanon the lead for good at 66-64 with 4:58 to play.

Joel Anthony had 17 points for Canada.