RIO DE JANEIRO -- Diana Taurasi and the U.S. womens basketball brushed aside yet another opponent at the Rio Games after being challenged for the first time in the Olympics, albeit for just one half.While Japan played the Americans tough in the first half, the end result was another blowout victory for the U.S., although the 110-64 dismantling of the Japanese team may have come at a cost.Point guard Sue Bird didnt play the second half after injuring her right knee in the second quarter. She told The Associated Press after the game that she felt a pop.Nothing really happened, Bird said of the play. I just felt the pop and anytime you feel that, its a little alarming. So going just to have to get it evaluated afterwards and see whats up. ... I really have nothing to tell you. It happened so fast like. Is it possible I stepped on her shoe or she stepped on mine? I dont really remember, but yeah it felt funny.U.S. coach Geno Auriemma said that they would evaluate the injury.I really dont know. I said well know on Wednesday, Auriemma said. Theres no way of knowing anything right now. Im sure Sues bummed out about it as you can imagine. Lets just wait and see.Coming into the quarterfinals, every U.S. game was virtually over at the half. Not this one.Japan, sticking to its up-tempo style of basketball, shooting 3-pointers and pushing the pace, trailed just 56-46 at halftime. But the Americans, which won its five group games by an average of 40.8 points, had just too much offensive firepower and eclipsed the 100-point mark for the fifth time in six games, outscoring Japan 54-18 in the second half.That is a really good team, they make you work, Taurasi said. They have a system of playing that Im really familiar with. ... We knew it would be a tough game. They put a lot of pressure on you and we felt it in the first half.The Americans, who will meet France in the semifinals Thursday, have played nearly flawless basketball in Rio and their performances apparently have made an impression on Japan.The Japanese players posed for a team picture with the U.S. after the blowout -- the second straight opponent to get a postgame memento with the Americans. China took a photo after their game against the Americans in pool play. Its reminiscent of how opponents reacted to the Dream Team at the 1992 Barcelona Games.I dont even know. Its the second time now in a row, said Bird. Yeah I dont know what happened.In the first 20 minutes against Japan, the Americans were challenged as the Asian nation wasnt afraid to try and run with them. The Japanese quickly got the ball up and down the court and hit open jumpers, taking it right at the No. 1 ranked team in the world.Just as the Americans seemed to be pulling away in the second quarter, opening up a double-digit lead, Japan responded with a 10-2 run.And they looked impressive doing it.Ramu Tokashiki -- who plays for the WNBAs Seattle Storm -- shook free from her defender for an easy backdoor layup that got Japan within 48-46 and capped the burst. It brought a loud contingent of Japanese fans to their feet.Thats as close as they would get. The U.S. (6-0) scored the final eight points of the half with the last four coming from Seimone Augustus, which brought cheers from Kevin Durant and several other members of the U.S. mens basketball team in attendance.Japan scored the first four points of the third quarter, but then Moore started a 10-0 run with five straight points. Brittney Griners layup capped the spurt and the U.S. never looked back.The Americans continued their torrid scoring pace and are still above the 102.4 mark set by the 1996 team that started the run of five gold medals and 47 consecutive Olympic wins.Tokashiki scored 14 points to lead Japan (3-3), which was playing its first Olympics since 2004. The three victories equaled the most ever for the team in the Games, which it will host in 2020.While this game provided the first real test for the Americans, their road to a sixth consecutive gold medal got a little bit easier when Australia lost to Serbia 73-71 early Tuesday. The Aussies had been the only team to hold a halftime lead over the U.S. at the Olympics in the past 16 years when they led by four in the semifinal game in the 2012 London Games. The U.S. won that game by 13. Serbia plays Spain in Thursdays other semifinal.---Online:AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org/---Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. http://www.authenticnflchinawholesalejerseys.com/ . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. Cheap Jerseys USA . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Wholesale NFL Jerseys .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. Australias spearhead Mitchell Starc has joined offspinner Nathan Lyon in criticising the deep footholes on the crease at the SSC ground in Colombo, while also intimating that the touring pacemen have not been well served by the maintenance of that area all series.Lyon had already flagged the deep excavation in the landing areas for the bowlers after day one, and on the second morning, Starc attracted the attention of the umpires for following through in the danger zone - at least in part because his preferred landing spot was far from solid.Its not great, Starc said. Nathan mentioned a few things yesterday about how it is after a day-one wicket. The fact that they fill the holes with not much and it was still wet this morning, and has been after each innings that weve bowled through the series, and the fact theyve probably bowled 15 overs of pace through the whole series, it is a bit easier for the spinners to land on than it is for our quicks.I understand the wicket is what it is and both teams play on that, but the actual bowling crease has been pretty disappointing this Test match.A former groundsman at Adelaide Oval, Lyon had quipped that I think Ive just hit water - the holes that deep. Its ridiculous on a day-one wicket, if I am being brutally honest, he said. It creates a lot of problems, not just for me - Josh Hazlewood lands in the middle of it, so, hopefully, the curaators can somehow fix that.ddddddddddddHaving grabbed his third five-wicket haul in as many innings, Starc is hopeful of an overdue quieter day ahead, after Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh set Australias first decent batting platform of the series.Boys started the innings really well, Starc said. Were one down, unfortunately, but the way Shaun and Steve played through that last session was great, what weve looked for the whole series. Its just a couple Test matches too late. But positive signs, obviously. Weve got four Test matches in India early next year, so were making good steps forward. Its just happened too late in this series.Starc has reason to want the chance to rest in the team viewing area on day three, as his brother Brandon Starc will be competing for Australia in the Olympic high jump event in Rio around 5am Sri Lanka time on Monday.Im glad were batting so Ill be able to get up about 5am and watch the brother over in Rio do his thing in the high jump, Starc said. Pretty excited and proud of the younger brother to represent his country at an Olympics. He sounds pretty excited as you would be in your first Olympic Games.Hes worked his butt off to get there, so Im very proud of him, and Im sure hell do himself and his country proud tomorrow. China NFL Jerseys White Wholesale Jerseys 2019 Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback Wholesale NFL Hoodies Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Wholesale Stitched Jerseys Wholesale NFL T-shirts Disocunt Football Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping Youth NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Wholesale NFL T-shirts Wholesale Jerseys 2018 Black China NFL Jerseys ' ' '