The US led by only 7 points midway through the fourth quarter of an 87-76 exhibition victory in Shanghai two weeks ago over an Australian team that didn't have starting center Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks. He was resting a sore right ankle.
It's hard to imagine a repeat of that semi-Shanghai surprise with the way the US has played in Beijing. "Nobody is going to beat them," said Germany's Chris Kaman, who managed just 6 points.
Dwight Howard scored 22 points. LeBron James had 18, 16 in the first half, and the Americans put three other players in double figures.
Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks All-Star, scored 14 points for Germany (1-4), which completed a disappointing Olympics. The Germans looked like contenders in a 95-66 rout of Angola but then dropped four straight.
Yesterday's games completed the brackets for the medal rounds. The US, winner of Group B, would face the winner of Argentina-Greece in the semifinals if it beats Australia. In the other bracket, Group A winner Lithuania meets China, and Spain faces Croatia, with the winners advancing to a semifinal.
Vasileios Spanoulis and Ioannis Bourousis each scored 19 points to lead Greece (3-2) to a 91-77 victory over China. Yao Ming led China (2-3) with 18 points.
Luis Scola scored 37 points for Argentina (4-1) in its 91-79 victory over already eliminated Russia (1-4). Australia (4-1) received 23 points from Bogut in its 106-75 victory over Lithuania (4-1).
Bogut has one game plan to beat the Americans.
"Shoot 100 percent," he said.
