Men's basketball

Durant helps U.S. surge past Argentina in final prelim

One three-pointer after another, Kevin Durant shot down Argentina — and perhaps the notion that defense wins championships.

This U.S. men's Olympic basketball team is living proof that the best defense is a good offense. The road to gold in London is built on scores, not stops.

Durant scored 17 of his 28 points during the Americans' 42-point third quarter, turning a one-point game into a blowout that sent the U.S. soaring into the quarterfinals with a 126-97 victory on Monday night.

Two nights after surviving their first real test in a 99-94 victory over Lithuania, the Americans seemed headed for another tight finish. Argentina shot 56 percent in the first half and the U.S. led just 60-59.

Minutes later, the game — the last before single-elimination play starts — was effectively over.

"I think we did a great job of responding from last game," Durant said. "It was a tough game and so was the first half tonight. Guys played together. That second half is how we want to play."

The Americans (5-0) will play Australia (3-2) in a quarterfinal game Wednesday.

Judo

American expelled for doping

American judo fighter Nick Delpopolo apologized after he was expelled from the Olympics for doping, blaming the disqualification on his unintentional consumption of something baked with marijuana.

Delpopolo is the first of the 10,500 London Games athletes to fail an in-competition doping test.

The International Olympic Committee said it disqualified him from the 73-kilogram class, where he placed seventh.

The judoka from Westfield, N.J., said his positive test was "caused by my inadvertent consumption of food that I did not realize had been baked with marijuana" before he left for the Olympics.

Elsewhere

• Flyweight Marlen Esparza and middleweight Claressa Shields clinched the U.S. team's first two women's boxing medals by advancing to semifinal bouts. Esparza patiently outboxed Venezuela's Karlha Magliocco, and the 17-year-old Shields closed furiously in an 18-14 win over Swedish veteran Anna Laurell.

Ireland lightweight Katie Taylor and top-seeded flyweight Ren Cancan of China also won in the first women's tournament.

"I could have thrown the kitchen sink (at Taylor), maybe drove the bus into her. It didn't work. It didn't work," Britain's Natasha Jonas said after she was outpointed 26-15. "I've come here the fittest, the leanest, the healthiest, the smartest boxer I could be ... she's still the best."

Jonas defeated Seattle's Queen Underwood in an opening bout.

• Arthur Zanetti gave Brazil its first medal in gymnastics, upsetting "Lord of the Rings" Chen Yibing for the gold on still rings. South Korea's Yang Hak-Seon added Olympic gold to his world title on vault.

• David McKienzie scored 17 points and the defending champion U.S. men's volleyball team clinched a top tournament seed by beating winless Tunisia 25-15, 25-19, 25-19.

• Matt Emmons finally made his way to the podium in the 50-meter three-position rifle event at the Olympics.

The U.S. marksman held on to win the bronze medal at the London Games.

Emmons won a 50-meter prone rifle gold at Athens and silver in the event at Beijing, but is best-known for his Olympic three-position misfortunes.

He was the leader with one shot left in three-position at Athens in 2004, then somehow managed to shoot at the wrong target. He was in front again with one shot left in Beijing, but the gun went off before he was aligned with the target.

• Jason Kenny won the sprint for Britain's fifth gold medal out of a possible seven in track cycling.

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