Team USA holds off Argentina, 86-80

BARCELONA, Spain - Dressed like the Dream Team, tested like its predecessor never was.

The U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team held on for an 86-80 exhibition victory over Argentina on Sunday, insisting it didn’t expect an easy game and not believing there’s benefit to one, anyway.

“I love it. You hate to breeze through exhibition games and then you get into London, and then you start getting competitive,” U.S. forward LeBron James said. “So we have a very good team. It doesn’t matter about how many points you win by, you just want to play well and get better that night, and I feel like we got better tonight.”

Kevin Durant scored 27 points for the Americans, who wore the throwback uniforms of the 1992 Dream Team for their return to Barcelona. They looked like the Hall of Fame squad during a superb opening 10 minutes, but their lead was down to four with 2:50 left after Manu Ginobili’s three-point play.

Durant and Chris Paul then hit big 3-pointers as the Americans won after being pushed for the second time in their four exhibition games. Kobe Bryant added 18 points and James had 15 for the U.S. AP