RIO DE JANEIRO? -- At least one member of Australias traveling party believes it would be a mistake to give the early darlings of the mens basketball tournament zero shot at an upset Wednesday night when the Boomers take on the highly favored United States.Its always possible, mate, Australia assistant coach and former NBA championship-winning center Luc Longley said Monday after an impressive 95-80 win over Serbia moved the Americans next opponent to a surprising 2-0 in Group A.There are no impossibilities in basketball.Yet it should be stressed that Longley, like all of Australias players, is realistic about the challenge ahead, even after their stirring victories over a top medal contender in France and a Serbian squad that finished second to the United States in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.The only thing Longley was prepared to guarantee about Wednesday nights game at the Carioca Arena 1 in Rio is that the Australians will try to make it as scrappy as possible, with Matthew Dellavedova leading that charge at point guard and physical big men Andrew Bogut and Aron Baynes in the frontcourt.That should be the first thing we write on our whiteboard every game: Lets not be fun to play against, said Longley, who has moved into coaching after a playing career that featured three rings with the Chicago Bulls in the Michael Jordan era.I think coming into the tournament, everyone would have looked at us and said, Were not looking forward to that game. Thats certainly the way the players want it to be. Its our brand of basketball. Its really the only way we have of punching above our weight class.The level of physicality in the matchup pitting Milwaukees Dellavedova against his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving will naturally get a lot of attention in the buildup to tipoff, but Dellavedova also happens to be coming off what might be his finest offensive performance in a national team jersey: 23 points and 13 assists (with zero turnovers) against Serbia in support of Patty Mills team-high 26 points.This is the first time in Olympic mens play that Australia has managed a 2-0 start. In the quarterfinals of the 2012 Summer Games in London -- with Bogut unavailable because of injury -- Australia was typically feisty and made its presence felt, but ultimately couldnt prevent a 33-point defeat.Its the ultimate test, Bogut said of facing the United States, which will match him up against former teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green -- as well as Harrison Barnes -- for the first time since Bogut and Barnes moved on to the Dallas Mavericks in the wake of?Golden States acquisition of Kevin Durant.Theyre the best team in the world, best players in the world, so I think if we go out there with the right mindset and compete with them, win or lose, well be happy with that, Bogut continued. If we go out there and were intimidated by them and try and get our shoes signed before the game and a signed jersey, were in the wrong mindset.Serbia coach Sasha Djordjevic, after watching Australia pull away late for another double-digit win on top of the Aussies impressive 21-point rout of Tony Parker-led France, said the front-line trio of Bogut, Baynes and David Andersen is second to none in the whole tournament in terms of intensity.They plan man basketball, said Serbia center Miroslav Raduljica, who scored a team-high 25 points Monday.Put a million dollars on it and youd probably get a dollar back if you bet on em, Bogut said of Team USA. So its a great challenge for us. It really gets us in a mindset of seeing what we gotta do to make our offense better and our defense better.Said Andersen, who played parts of three seasons in the NBA: Its like a Hail Mary I suppose youd call it. But were gonna go out there and give it our all and try to shake up the world. Shaquille ONeal Jersey Large . LUCIE, Fla. Custom Robert Parish Jersey . The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling "puts an end to my dreams of being a top player," the 27-year-old Troicki said in a statement. "I worked my entire life for it, and it has been taken away from me in one afternoon by a doctor I didnt know," said Troicki, whose ranking peaked at No. http://www.customcelticsjersey.com/custom-larry-bird-jersey-large-257e.html . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Robert Parish Jersey Large . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. John Havlicek Jersey Large . 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. EVIAN-LES-BAINS, Germany -- Jerome Boateng has been a central figure in Germanys advance to the quarterfinals of the European Championship without conceding a goal, so its a huge relief for his team that a calf injury wont keep him out of Saturdays quarterfinal against Italy.Boateng has helped set the tone for his side at Euro 2016 -- at both ends of the field.It all started with a spectacular goal-line clearance against Ukraine when Germany was only 1-0 up. Germany went on to win the match 2-0 but it could have all been so different had Ukraine got on level terms.Boateng then helped contain his Bayern Munich teammate Robert Lewandowski in the scoreless draw with Poland, and marshalled the backline in the 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland in the final group game.Boatengs defensive strengths are well-chronicled.Whats not is his scoring prowess.But against Slovakia in the round of 16, the 27-year-old central defender gave his sides misfiring attack a helping hand by opening the scoring with his first international goal in 63 appearances.Boateng has been spoken of as a potential player of the tournament. Hes not convinced.Sure, a defender can also score a goal or play a good game, but I think it will always stay like that that, the offensive plaayers are more in focus, he said Thursday at the teams tournament base in Evian-les-Bains.ddddddddddddThere have been some concerns that a calf injury would mean he miss the encounter with Italy.The calf is very well and good for Saturday, he said.Boatengs participation in Euro 2016 had been in doubt earlier this year after he suffered a muscle injury to his left leg in January.The long layoff, though, has clearly not been a hindrance.Boateng insists that he wont change the way he plays even though another yellow card would see him suspended from any potential semifinal against either France or Iceland.Ill go in like I always go in, he said.Boatengs inspired performances at Euro 2016 have come just weeks after he found himself in the middle of a racism controversy off the field.A top member of a rising German nationalist party reportedly told a national newspaper that many people wouldnt want to live next to Boateng, who was born in Berlin to a father from Ghana.The remarks drew widespread protests and prompted fans to unfurl a banner reading Jerome be our neighbor! at Germanys friendly against Slovakia last month. ' ' '