USA, Spain collide in tune-up game

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. and Spain are facing off Friday night (Saturday, PHL time), a matchup of the two topranked basketball teams in the world and a possible precursor to a medal-round meeting next month at the World Cup.

That might sound exciting.

To the teams, not so much.

Both the Americans and the Spaniards are going into the game in Anaheim feeling the same way — that they are still in the formative stage, working out kinks on the way to setting a final roster. That's why the teams also are making this much clear: What they show Friday won't be what they're hoping to show in China when the World Cup gets going.

"For sure, it won't be on our side," Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said. "We still have 14 players. Not all of our players are in 100 percent shape yet, and most of them are kind of in a load management in terms of their playing time. I think it's going to be a nice game between good teams ... but the final product, not at all."

Spain worked out Thursday at a high school in Playa Del Rey, while the Americans went through their last practice on U.S. soil back at the Los Angeles Lakers' practice facility. It's expected that the U.S. will have most of its 15 remaining players available Friday — Boston's Marcus Smart (who did some on-court work Thursday) probably won't play while he works his way back from a calf strain, and Denver's Mason Plumlee left practice Thursday after his mouth got bloodied.

The Americans will leave for Australia on Saturday.