2007 FIBA Americas Championship Preliminary Round Schedule

Saturday, Aug. 25
USA 113, Canada 63
Brazil 93, Virgin Islands 89
Uruguay 82, Puerto Rico 79
Argentina 104, Mexico 83

Sunday, Aug. 26
Venezuela 100, Virgin Islands 90
Uruguay 91, Mexico 82
USA 113, Brazil 76
Argentina 109, Panama 92

A Complimentary Player

When LaMarcus Aldridge recently withdrew from the USA Select Team, it seemed almost fitting. Playing in the shadow of Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy last season and welcoming No. 1 pick Greg Oden earlier this summer, Aldridge often finds himself far from a main attraction with the Portland Trail Blazers. Hard to believe, since the Bulls selected Aldridge with the No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft before sending him to Portland.

If Aldridge had joined the squad assembled to prepare the national team for the Olympic qualifying tournament, his comfortable low profile could have disappeared. But Aldridge withdrew as a precaution, taking time to nurse a sore left heel. With the Blazers building for the future around a nucleus of Aldridge, Oden, and Roy, arriving for training camp healthy matters most.

"We know that LaMarcus is a very, very important piece to this puzzle," said Blazers head coach and national team assistant Nate McMillan. "He will be the guy that we run a lot of our offense through -- LaMarcus, Brandon, and Greg. We're going to expect him to score, defend, do a lot of things for us. He showed that potential last year and we're looking for a little bit more this coming season."

After starting his rookie year slowly as he continued to recover from right shoulder surgery, Aldridge did not log enough playing time to earn consideration for the Rookie-Sophomore All-Star Game. He made up for lost time during the second half of the season, earning first-team All-Rookie honors. Averaging 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, Aldridge took his spot on the squad alongside Roy, Andrea Bargnani, Randy Foye, Rudy Gay, and Jorge Garbajosa.

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source : boston.com

Prince Sprains Ankle After Going For Rebound In First Quarter

LAS VEGAS -- Tayshaun Prince sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of the United States' 113-76 win over Brazil on Sunday night in the FIBA Americas tournament.

The 6-foot-9 forward for the Detroit Pistons fell and stayed on the floor after going for a defensive rebound late in the first quarter. He was attended to for about a minute and then helped off the court. He gingerly walked to the locker room.

A team spokesman said team doctors decided Prince would not return to the game as a precautionary measure and he would be reevaluated Monday.

Prince averaged 5.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in the United States' first three games in the tournament that decides two berths in the Beijing Olympics.

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source : sports.espn.go.com

Magic Discover Role That Suits Foyle Perfectly

The Golden State Warriors had little use for Adonal Foyle. The Orlando Magic should have plenty.

It's all about finding the right fit in the NBA.

"He brings a lot of things that we need,'' said Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy. "For us, it's a great addition. He fills a real void that we had.''

Foyle, 32, is the shot-blocking defensive-minded center who was signed by the Magic on Friday, expecting him to be the third wheel in the three-big-man rotation that will start with Dwight Howard and Tony Battie.

Although Foyle doesn't have the offensive game, or the long-term potential of center/forward Darko Milicic, who left last month as a free agent for Memphis, he should provide the frontcourt toughness the Magic needed.

Foyle signed a two-year deal that starts with the veteran's minimum of $1.2 million but includes the option to become a free agent after this season.

He became available this summer when he accepted a buyout from the Warriors, who owed him $8.9 million for this season and $9.7 million the following year. He decided to take a little less for his freedom, knowing he would sign somewhere else to make up much of the difference, and receive a chance to revitalize his career.

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source : orlandosentinel.com

Posey Is A Fit With Celtics

The Celtics agreed to terms with free agent small forward James Posey yesterday on a $7 million, two-year deal, with the second year a player option. Posey should arrive in Boston tomorrow or Tuesday to sign officially, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein.

Posey spent the last last two seasons of an eight-year career with the Miami Heat. He averaged 7.2 points and 4.8 rebounds and started 63 of 67 games during the 2005-06 season, when the Heat won the NBA title.

As a player who knows what it takes to win a title, the 6-foot-8-inch Posey was particularly attractive to the Celtics. Career averages of 9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds, in addition to his standout defensive ability, helped convince the Celtics that Posey was worth spending the midlevel exception.

"He's going to add a lot to the Celtics," said Bartelstein. "He's one of the premier defenders in the league at the wing position. He can be a lock-down defender every night.

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source : boston.com