US slams Puerto Rico
NEW YORK — Mike Krzyzewski is ready to decide who is going with him to Spain.
The U.S. national team coach said the Americans expect to trim their roster to 12 on Saturday before leaving for Europe, after team officials had previously said they might carry extra players.
Final rosters for the FIBA World Cup of Basketball aren't due until next Friday, but the Americans won't need that much time.
''We feel that it's better to go with 12 because that's really difficult on anybody if they're not going to be on the team to travel that far,'' Krzyzewski said after the U.S. beat Puerto Rico 112-86 on Friday night in their final home exhibition game.
Derrick Rose came off the bench and scored six points in 14 minutes. He apparently will make the team if he and team officials feel his health allows it.
'' These guys want to play with him. That's part of getting back is to be around a group of peers,'' Krzyzewski said.
Stephen Curry scored 20 points and Krzyzewski announced the Golden State guard was on the team as they appeared together in the postgame press conference. But the All-Star was never in danger of getting cut.
All-Star Damian Lillard, Andre Drummond, Gordon Hayward and DeMar DeRozan are, as the four players on the 16-man roster who didn't play Friday. But Krzyzewski insisted his mind wasn't made up and that he still had to speak with USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo before Saturday's announcement.
''It's a collective decision and Jerry puts the final stamp on it. We haven't had a chance to discuss the new input from tonight but I thought we got some really good performances,'' Krzyzewski said, mentioning forwards Kenneth Faried and Rudy Gay.
James Harden and Gay had 13 points apiece for the Americans, who will play a final exhibition game in Spain against Slovenia and open the World Cup next Saturday against Finland.
The U.S. led 52-47 after Klay Thompson's buzzerbeating 3-pointer at the end of an entertaining first half before a divided crowd that included plenty of Puerto Rican fans. Knicks All-Star and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist Carmelo Anthony, who is part Puerto Rican, was in the front row along with golfer Rory McIlroy and tennis star Andy Murray.
Rose checked in mid- way through the first quarter after sitting out the previous game and a couple of practices this week after feeling soreness following last Saturday's exhibition opener against Brazil. He has sat out most of the last two seasons after a pair of knee surgeries, and has to prove he is ready to lead a U.S. team that has already lost some good players this summer to withdrawals and injuries.