Kevin Durant, USA Face True Road Game: Previewing World Championship Game

Kevin Durant scored a USA record 38 points on Saturday to lead the United States to the Gold Medal game on the nine-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York.

With a special September 11 message on his shoes, Durant scored 17 points in the first quarter to give the Americans an early lead that was never seriously challenged by Lithuania.

Carmelo Anthony held the previous record of most points scored in a game by a U.S. player, with 35 in 2006. Durant almost broke that a few days ago against Russia, but finally got by him today with his 38-point performance. His points per game average in the tournament this year stands at 22.1, which would be the best ever for a U.S. player.

Many people doubted this U.S. team could end the drought after all the superstars from the 2008 Olympic gold medalists declined to play this summer. But Durant kept saying yes, and he's on the verge of going down as the most accomplished U.S. player ever in this event. The Americans have a chance tomorrow to get their first World Championship since 1994.

Durant's Twitter page had a message this morning that read: "May God bless those who were effected by the events on Sept 11, 2001...9-11-01 on my shoes tonight...you guys will watch over us."

When these two teams played earlier in the year, the U.S. got off to one of their worst starts, before finally rallying to win. Durant made sure they did not get off to a slow start in this one. In less than four minutes, he had taken the U.S. from down two to up ten, and Lithuania never recovered.

In 38 minutes of play, Durant shot 56 percent from the floor, scored 38 points, and pulled in nine rebounds. Lamar Odom played well, scoring 13 points and getting 10 rebounds for a double-double. Durant's Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook chipped in 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. No other USA player reached double figures in scoring.

Chauncey Billups and Derrick Rose had a tough day, with Billups shooting 1-for-8 with three points, and Rose held scoreless in 12 minutes of play. Luckily, Kevin Durant played like Kevin Durant.

A big win feels great for this USA team on September 11, but they know there is one more step to take. They will now turn their attention to the tournament's host Turkey, whom they will face for the World Championship tomorrow.

Turkey trailed for most of their game against Serbia, but were able to pull out a one-point victory with four seconds remaining. Hedo Turkoglu led Turkey with 16 points, and three others scored at least 12 points. They were out rebounded and missed 13 free throws, but managed to come back in the final minutes to advance to the gold medal game.

Turkey has been preparing for this tournament since 2004. For six years everything has been done with a focus on the 2010 FIBA World Championship. Nine years ago, the country hosted Eurobasket 2001 and went on to take the silver medal. 2010 is seen as a turning point in Turkey’s fortunes in international competitions.

Sunday's World Championship game will feature two undefeated teams. Turkey finished pool play (Group C) undefeated at 5-0. The home team Turkey has only really had one game that was close. Now that they got that out of the way, they can turn their attention to the Americans.

Ersan Ilyasova leads Turkey in scoring at almost 16 points per game. Hedo Turkoglu is right behind him, and three others average more than nine points per game.Ilyasova also leads the team in rebounds at nearly eight per game. Turkoglu is leading the team in assists with more than four per contest. Turkey has four players on their roster that currently play in the NBA.

Turkey has some good size, especially with seven-footer Omer Asik. They also have five other players listed at 6'10" or taller. Turkey will try to use their size, and they know the 6'10" Hedo Turkoglu will be the focal point of their offense.

Lithuania's head coach Kestutis Kemzura on guarding Durant: “It’s very hard to stop Kevin Durant one-on-one, you have to pick your poison.” Lithuanian guard Martynas Pocius has some advice for Serbia on Sunday: “You have just got to hope they miss shots. That's the only way I think you can stay in the game.”

If Team USA can play better help defense, crash the boards, and have a balanced scoring attack, they should be able to upset host Turkey and get their first World Championship in 16 years. It will be interesting to see what starting lineup Coach K goes with on Sunday, and if those five guys can play effectively as a group.

The bench may have to carry some of the load again, so they need to be ready. Eric Gordon, Rudy Gay, Kevin Love, and Seth Curry need to be ready to come in and contribute. I don't expect Derrick Rose and Chauncey Billups to struggle two games in a row, especially on this big of a stage.

Sunday's World Championship game will be huge, and if Durant can have a repeat performance from the last two games, it will be a monumental victory for Team USA.