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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Somethings wrong in Rio.The team that usually wins big is barely winning.An unheard of two straight close games for the U.S. Olympic mens basketball team has created a question that few dared consider just a few days ago: Is the best team in the world not good enough for gold?Im not concerned, were not concerned with things we could do a little bit better, four-time Olympian Carmelo Anthony said. But were OK. Were fine.OK and fine arent the U.S. standard.Great. Dominant. Those are the standards the Americans have set.The problems seem to center on a lack of international experience and time to prepare for the Rio Games.The Americans are still unbeaten, but theyre far from unbeatable going into their final game of the preliminary round Sunday against France.Were going to play a team who struggled the last two games and Im sure theyre not too sure, like, who they are as well, France forward Nicolas Batum said. So its going to be big matchup Sunday.The U.S. team that many considered a gold medal lock wouldnt even win its group outright with a loss Sunday, either tying France or sharing first with the French and Australia at 4-1. In fact, the Americans could even end up finishing third in Group A.The Americans supposedly left third-place finishes behind long ago.But after needing to pull away late to beat Australia 98-88 and holding on to edge Serbia 94-91 on Friday when Bogdan Bogdanovic missed a 3-pointer, anything seems possible.Again, well figure this out, Paul George said. Its good that were finding ways to win these games right now. Hopefully these will be the ones that help prepare us later on for the style of this tournament.The Americans dont seem stressed, canceling practice Saturday. But some extra time in the gym would seem to benefit what is the most unprepared U.S. Olympic team since the 2004 squad that managed only bronze in Athens.Like then, the Americans were hit hard by player withdrawals and were still putting together a roster right up until their deadline. Instead of bringing experienced Olympians to Rio de Janeiro, they have 10 rookies, players who look more like lost tourists when it comes to the ways of international basketball.The 2008 and 2012 powerhouses were filled with players who had competed previously in the Olympics or FIBA competitions, and understood the nuances even better than some of their opponents. This group is learning on the fly, and theyre not giving themselves high marks.Again, as good as we are, if we continue playing like this, this games going to get even tougher, George said.No teams can match the Americans talent, and they dont pretend that can. But a team like France has a familiarity this U.S. team can never attain.These French have been playing big games for years, winning bronze in the 2014 Basketball World Cup, and after falling short of qualifying for the Olympics when they lost in the semifinals of last summers EuroBasket they were hosting, winning a tournament in July to secure their spot.Maybe, maybe got more chemistry than they are, because I played with this team for eight years now, the same group of guys, every summer, Batum said. So we know each other well, same coach, too, so we know the plays and everything. So that may be sometimes.Batum and his teammates -- along with everyone else in Brazil -- quickly point out that the U.S. is talented enough to overcome that.The U.S. is the U.S., France star Tony Parker said. Theyve been the standard for a long time and they are the best team in the tournament, and until somebody beats them they still are the best team.Nobody has done that in a decade, with the Americans seeking their 50th consecutive tournament victory Sunday. Few teams have even come close to beating them and before this week the U.S. had never played consecutive games decided by 10 points or fewer under coach Mike Krzyzewski.Krzyzewski knew things would get tougher once the opponents did. The Americans arrived in Rio untested after a tame exhibition schedule that included China and Venezuela, the two teams they crushed to open the Olympics.But Australia and Serbia were much higher quality and so are the French, who are ranked fifth in the world. They all have offensive systems and players who can make them work.We never saw that in any exhibition game or whatever, Krzyzewski said. 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The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies.England batsman Joe Root is set to feature in his first four-day game for Yorkshire in two years this weekend. Yet Root, the worlds second-ranked Test batsman, admits he is unsure if the back-to-back county champions have room to accommodate him.The 25-year-old is available for the White Rose against Nottinghamshire for the Sky Live match that begins at Trent Bridge - the venue for Roots most recent Yorkshire appearance in September 2014, when he captained them to the County Championship title - on Sunday. Yorkshire have been missing a player who is currently in the top-10 in all formats in the ICC world rankings, but his loss has not been felt too heavily at Headingley, where they were celebrating another County Championship under first-team coach Jason Gillespies watch last season.Their bid to get off to a quick start in pursuit of a third straight Division One championship will be strengthened by Roots availability for their next two fixtures, even if the Sheffield-born batsman knows they have done just fine without him.The opportunities to do it are so rare now; it is really nice to go back and play, said Root, who was speaking in Sheffield after being unveiled as the new ambassador for Yorkshire Cricket Foundation. Root starred for England in their ill-fated Twenty20 World Cup campaign earlier this month Looking at the side at the minute, Im trying to see where Ill fit into the team. Honestly, theres a lot of guys scoring runs and playing really good cricket. You almost think, is it worth upsetting that for a couple of games?Its great to be back involved, a lot of the guys Ive known since being a really young lad and Ive grown up learning the game with so its nice to be in the same dressing room with them again and playing competitive cricket again.Root will pad up in a competitive environment for the first time since England lost the World Twenty20 final to West Indies in India earlier this month.But Root is not dwelling on the heartache and is already focusinng on his next challenge with England, which involves defeating Pakistan and Sri Lanka in home Test series this summer and avenging their recent losses to both nations.dddddddddddd Joe Root talks Yorkshire and England during a day at Woburn Golf Club It was bitterly disappointing but its gone now and you move on; you get absorbed in what your next hurdle is, Root added.Going into that World Cup, Im not sure wed have been expected to get to the World Cup final, I think we out-did ourselves in that respect.The way we performed in the Test arena... South Africa was an outstanding effort from this group of players so its really exciting going into the summer with all this momentum behind us.If we can win both series, I think were holding every trophy between us and other nations which would be a good achievement.Watch Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire in County Championship Division One, starting from 10.30am on Sunday live on Sky Sports 2 HD. Also See: County Championship Div One table County Championship Div Two table Domestic fixtures/results Get Surrey tickets! ' ' '