Zdovc: "You can't give loose balls and expect to beat the USA"

BARCELONA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Slovenia did a tremendous job of keeping the USA's lead to single digits at the end of the first half (49-42) in Tuesday's Quarter-Final before the reigning champions opened the floodgates in the third quarter and cruised to a 119-76 win to take their place in Thursday's first Semi-Final at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Slovenian coach Jure Zdovc recalled this with anguish later.

"You can't let them (USA) have loose balls and expect us to win," he said.

We played hard for a good first half. But after that we let them get away. - Zdovc

Slovenia's leading scorer Goran Dragic backed up his coach's warning.

"It's always tough playing against a great team like the USA," he said. "You can only keep this close to them. And they will punish you hard for your mistakes. That's how it is when you play great teams."

USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski paid tribute to his players.

"Three things these guys (USA players) have done well: they have listened well, they have worked hard and they have played really good defense. We have never had that not happening," he said.

"We played really hard the whole game. We just couldn't finish some of the plays in the first half.

The emotion, the intensity and the effort was always there. - Krzyzewski

As for the defending champions' vulnerability, Krzyzewski conceded that his team is not invincible.

"We are beatable. There's no question about that," he said.

"We are a young team. That's why I'm pleased with the way we played. Normally a young team will get frustrated with the ball not going in.

"At half-time I told them to be a matured team. And they were."