PREVIEW – Semi-Finals Saturday

ISTANBUL (2010 FIBA World Championship) - It's been four, long years since United States coach Mike Krzyzewski and his star-studded squad lost to Greece in the Semi-Finals of the FIBA World Championship in Japan, a result that sparked celebrations in the streets of Athens.

It was also the day that Argentina almost beat Spain but an Andres Nocioni three-pointer from the corner hit the rim and stayed out.

You know the rest of the story.

Pau Gasol, hurt late in the Argentina game, missed the Final but his Spain teammates, wearing t-shirts that read 'Pau tambien juega', thrashed Greece in the gold-medal game and the USA overcame Argentina to capture bronze.

Anything can happen on Semi-Finals Saturday.

In 2010, the side that will attempt to upset the United States is Lithuania, while Serbia will try to continue their remarkable run in Istanbul with a last-four battle against hosts Turkey.

The USA, Lithuania and Turkey have yet to lose a game at the FIBA World Championship while Serbia have just one defeat, a surprise double-overtime setback to Germany – one of the two teams that didn’t progress from Group A.

Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski steered his team to a win over Lithuania in Madrid before the World Championship.

That was merely a friendly, though, and the Lithuanians have grown in confidence since.

After watching them flatten Argentina in the Quarter-Finals on Thursday night, he stressed the importance of slowing the men from the Baltics down.

"We have to take away transition first and then make it difficult for them to run their half-court stuff," Krzyzewski said.

Lithuania could not have played any better than they did against Argentina.

Losing coach Sergio Hernandez called it the best performance by any team at the World Championship so far.

It wasn't just one, two or even three Lithuanian players that hurt the Argentinians.

Coach Kestutis Kemzura had several men reach double figures.

"The toughest international teams to defend put four shooters on the court, where the four (power forward) is also a good three-point shooter, and that’s what they do," Krzyzewski said.

"Then when they sub at the center position, they actually have five good shooters.

"So you have to really point and talk because all of a sudden (Simas) Jasaitis can be trailing and there’s that left-hand three when you’re not talking. So they’re going to be aggressive."

One of the more interesting comments made at this FIBA World Championship came on Thursday night after Lithuania's big win.

Argentina coach Hernandez was asked if Lithuania could beat Team USA.

"Lithuania are playing better team basketball," Hernandez said.

"The USA are playing NBA basketball, and this is FIBA, and I think it will be a great match."

The Lithuanians, Hernandez will never forget, whipped the ball around the perimeter and hit jump shot after jump shot.

They also scored in transition.

The Americans do make passes, but also have shown the ability to beat teams with their individual, one-on-one game.

No team has stopped Kevin Durant, the Americans' 21-year-old superstar and the leading scorer in the NBA last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Durant did struggle briefly against Russia early on in their USA's Quarter-Final win but ended up with 33 points.

Should the Americans win the gold medal, it would seem he is a near certainty to be voted as the tournament's MVP.

"The most important thing is not to leave him one on one," Kemzura said.

"Kevin Durant is a big problem for every opponent, but an even greater problem is the quick attack and aggressive defense (of Team USA)."

Turkey, meanwhile, will be roared on by their home crowd in the Sinan Erdem Dome.

They have looked a different class against every team here in Istanbul.

Slovenia certainly had no chance against them, losing 95-68.

"Before the tournament, we would have accepted to play in the (Semi-) Finals as a great achievement, but when you get this far, your appetite grows,” Turkey coach Bogdan Tanjevic said.

Serbia have knocked off some great teams in this tournament, though, and Ivkovic is likely to come up with a game plan that will give his team a good chance to win.

“They have a great team," Tanjevic said.

"Coach Ivkovic came up with nine very talented players at the 2009 European Championship, gave them the chance to play, supported them, and I have been admiring him and his team since.”

Tanjevic's men lost twice to Serbia in the build-up to the World Championship.

“We weren’t at our best then and this time, the game will be different,” he said.

In a far less significant game on Saturday, Slovenia will face Russia in the battle for seventh place.

To catch all the Semi Final action on Saturday, plus highlights and interviews go to FIBATV.com.

FIBA