The U.S. men’s basketball team went on a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter and finally showed signs of hitting top form to beat Australia 89-79 in the men’s Olympic basketball tournament Thursday.

Sharply criticized around the world for being a selfish group of individuals, the U.S. team once again fell behind and trailed after three quarters despite having far more firepower than their opponents.

But the Americans came out for the final quarter and finally showed they could play team defense, pass the ball efficiently and utilize their athleticism on the fast break to notch their second win in three preliminary round games.

“It’s kind of life and death for us right now,” said 19-year-old LeBron James who came off the bench to provide much needed spark, scoring eight points and handing out five assists.

“I’m not used to coming off the bench, but when we represent your country we have to respect our coach’s decisions. So it doesn’t matter for me not to be a starter. I can contribute from the bench and I think today we brought some energy in the court and we helped our team recover and finally get the victory.”

Tim Duncan had fouled out, Allen Iverson was playing with a broken thumb, and Greece had just passed the ball inside with a chance to pull within two points with 18 seconds left.

Lamar Odom defended the play perfectly, holding his hand steady and high and getting a piece of Dimitris Pipanikoulaou’s layup attempt. Odom, playing despite severe dehydration, rebounded the miss and made two free throws to lock up the U.S. team’s 77-71 victory Tuesday night in its second game of the Olympics.

In a much closer contest than expected, the Americans bounced back from their embarrassing opening loss to Puerto Rico and avoided dropping to 0-2, which would have matched their loss total from the previous 68 years at the Summer Games.

The big plays down the stretch came from Odom and Carlos Boozer after Duncan fouled out and Iverson cooled off following a strong start. The Americans didn’t have a great game, but that didn’t matter much to them.

They needed a win and they got one.

BOSTON (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers resumed their makeover Friday by trading Gary Payton and Rick Fox to the Boston Celtics for Chucky Atkins, Marcus Banks and Chris Mihm.

The Celtics also received a conditional first-round draft pick and cash in the deal and sent a second-round pick to the Western Conference champions.

The teams were once among the NBA’s fiercest rivals, but Boston has fallen on hard times since winning its 16th championship in 1986. Since then, the Lakers have won five titles and lost three times in the Finals, including this year’s upset by the Detroit Pistons.

Payton and Karl Malone took a large pay cut to join the Lakers as free agents last summer, each All-Star hoping to win his first championship.

Despite struggling through his first year with the team, the 36-year-old Payton exercised a $5.4 million option to come back for another season.

Fox was a Celtic for six seasons before joining the Lakers and winning three NBA titles. He has averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists over his career.

NEW KENT, Va. (AP) — Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick pleaded guilty Tuesday to reckless driving and no contest to marijuana possession, shortly after he was suspended from the university for the 2004 season.

The younger brother of Atlanta Falcons quarterback and former Hokies’ star Michael Vick was fined $300 and his driver’s license was suspended for 60 days for reckless driving. As part of a plea agreement, he was placed in a first offender program on the marijuana charge.

Vick refused to answer reporters’ questions outside the courthouse, but his lawyers distributed a written statement from his client. Vick apologized and said he intends to return to Virginia Tech.

“I have learned a great deal from the mistakes I have made,” the statement said. “I will work hard to earn respect as an athlete and a person. I understand that I had a responsibility to conduct myself appropriately at all times and will work to do that. I am asking that Virginia Tech, and the other people who support me, not give up on me.”

The first offender program will require Vick to perform 24 hours of community service, undergo drug counseling and random drug tests, and give up his driver’s license for an additional six months.

The judge ordered Vick to return to court on Aug. 9, 2005, to determine whether he has met all the requirements.

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said in a statement the team will support Vick.

“Marcus Vick is a young man with a good heart who has made some poor decisions but still has an opportunity to have a bright future,” Beamer said.

The 20-year-old has had a series of run-ins with the law this offseason.

In May, he was convicted on three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor after he and two teammates gave alcohol to 14- and 15-year-old girls at the players’ apartment. He was acquitted of a charge of having sex with one of the girls and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $2,250 for the other charges.

The reckless driving and marijuana possession charges were filed against Vick last month after an early morning traffic stop on Interstate 64 in New Kent Kent County. He was clocked on radar at 86 mph, 21 mph above the speed limit, state police said. The traffic stop led to the marijuana possession charge.

Re-admittance to the university is contingent on Vick’s successful completion of a drug education and counseling program.

Athletic director Jim Weaver said he told Vick any further criminal, athletic or university violations will result in Vick’s permanent dismissal from Virginia Tech sports.

The suspension “is a stiff penalty,” Virginia Tech president Charles Steger said. “Vick won’t play this year and loses that year of eligibility. If there is any more trouble, his Virginia Tech career is effectively ended.”

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) � The U.S. men’s Olympic team did more than merely lose. It was embarrassed and exposed like never before in international competition.

Losing an exhibition game for the first time when using NBA players, the Americans were completely outclassed by lightly regarded Italy, never even making it close in the fourth quarter of a 95-78 upset Tuesday.

“This is a wakeup call for us,” Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson said. “I think we need something like this to understand it’s not going to be easy.”

The Americans were sloppy with the ball and couldn’t handle Italy’s zone defenses and 3-point shooting. Italy not only made 15 from behind the arc but also showed superior ball movement and poise in handing the Americans their most lopsided defeat since pros began competing in 1992.

“They’re going to be in for a lot of lessons for the next few weeks,” U.S. coach Larry Brown said. “It’s a young team, and it’s a different game internationally.”

Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony led the Americans with 17 points, and two-time NBA MVP Tim Duncan added 15.

Italy, whose roster is filled entirely by players from that country’s league, was led by Giacomo Galanda’s 28 points and Gianluca Basile’s 25.

While the Italians were fifth at the Sydney Olympics, the United States is unbeaten at the Summer Games and in Olympic qualifying since NBA players were allowed in 1992, taking four straight gold medals. It will seek a fifth in a row at the Aug. 13-29 Athens Olympics.

But the United States is sending its youngest team to the Olympics � the average age is 23.50 � since the door opened for NBAers.