OLYM - Australia dare to dream

LONDON (Olympics) - Australia will face a familiar foe in their first knockout game of the 2012 London Games.

Up first is the defending champions United States, a side that has been so good this year that it has drawn comparisons to the original Dream Team.

The Boomers have been good at the London Games, but the Americans have been awesome.

It is a challenge, Australia coach Brett Brown says, his men are relishing.

"It's a competitive situation we embrace," he said.

"We look forward to playing that level of talent.

"We have a lot of guys who want to use this opportunity as a measuring stick to see exactly where they're at.

"We look forward to continuing our good form against the world's best players.

Brown remembers when the United States teams were not overwhelming favorites.

"The thing that makes it even more intimidating when you look at it is over the years, they've fixed the rent-a-player type of mentality they had," he said.

"They have the same core of player, same coach and you provide that with talent, it presents a whole new landscape."

Team USA's Kevin Durant is certainly one of the best players in the world and he proved it on Monday night against Argentina.

During the first half, Durant had 11 points and the Americans only led, 60-59.

In the third quarter, he caught fire from long range and poured in 17 points as the USA outscored Argentina 42-17 to take command on their way to a 126-97 win.

The USA have a who's who list of players that are known the world over, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tyson Chandler, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, Andre Iguodala, James Harden, Anthony Davis and Durant.

James led Miami to this year's NBA title while Durant, Westbrook and Harden were in the Finals with Oklahoma City.

Bryant has won NBA titles before.

James, Bryant, Paul, Williams and Anthony all played on the gold-medal winning team at the Olympics two years ago while Chandler, Durant, Westbrook, Love and Iguodala were in the American side that won the world title.

Davis was recently the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft by New Orleans after leading the Kentucky Wildcats to the NCAA Championship.

"We understand the level of talent we'll be up against," Brown said.

"Our focus will be on playing pride-full Australian basketball."

The player who has carried Australia in their last two wins has been Pat Mills, point guard in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, the club Brown works for as an assistant to Gregg Popovich.

"It's about playing the best, this is what the Olympics is all about," Mills said.

"What better opportunity than to play against the best in the Quarter-Finals."

Australia will try to play their game, Mills says.

"We don't want to be anyone else," he said. "We want to be Aussies and do what we do.

"We've gotten better each game.

"We understand how good they are, it's a great opportunity."

In 2008, the Americans put paid to the Boomers' hopes of a medal when they rolled to a 116-85 win in Beijing.

Two years before that, the USA beat the Aussies in the Eighth-Finals in Japan at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, 113-73.

FIBA