USA needs to forget about Nigeria, focus on Lithuania and gold

Forget about it.

Or, for a New Yorker like Carmelo Anthony, fugeddaboutit.

That is what USA coach Mike Krzyzewski told his Nigerian counterpart to do with the game tape after Team USA’s historic win on Thursday (Coach K actually said “flush it”). But that is exactly what his team needs to do with that epic performance as well. Flush it. Fugeddaboutit about it and move on.

The only team that can beat the USA is the USA. They can trip and fall over their own overconfidence — and there are teams good enough to take advantage of any stumble. Time to put Nigeria and the 71 percent shooting behind them and keep their eye on the goal and the gold. The soft, summer vacation portion of the Olympics is over and from here on out the games harder and more serious for Team USA.

That starts with Lithuania on Saturday — a team that certainly is better than Nigeria and features some NBA talent (Linas Kleiza, Darius Songalia, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Jonas Valanciunas). However, Lithuania’s style of play (they lack foot speed) plays to the USA’s strengths.

The USA needs a win Saturday because they control their own destiny. They are the only undefeated team in Group A. With wins over Lithuania then Monday against Argentina the USA would secure the top spot in their Group A, setting up a very winnable first game of the medal round against likely Australia. (Group B will have Spain and Russia on top, they play Saturday to determine that order, then Brazil third. The Aussies should get the four spot unless they fall to host Great Brittan.)

Lithuania presents a couple challenges for the American. First, Kleiza is a good player who can put up points on the USA’s defense and Jasikevicius is a quality point guard. Actually, Lithuania is deep with guys that can score, they have a 10-man rotation of guys that play at high levels in Europe and can shoot the rock.

But Lithuania’s weaknesses play right into Team USA’s wheelhouse.

For one, Lithuania turns the ball over a lot — something Team USA will turn into flashy, energizing dunks on the other end. The other problem is that Lithuania’s defense in general — and particularly their pick-and-roll defense — has not been very good these Olympics. And that is what the USA likes to run.

The USA is going to put up points — not 156 points, they will not shoot 71 percent again. But it will be too many points for Lithuania to match.

The one Lithuanian I’m most interested in seeing is Valanciunas, the No. 5 pick of the Toronto Raptors last year who will join the NBA next season. Except I don’t know how much we will get to see him — he has averaged just 11 minutes a game so far these Olympics. He has 14 total points on 7-of-11 shooting, with eight rebounds and eight fouls. Not the kinds of numbers Raptors fans were hoping to see.

This should be another comfortable win for Team USA, while with the loss Lithuania appears headed for the four seed in Group B (and a date with Spain or Russia in the first game of the medal round).

That is, it should be a comfortable win if they forget about the last game.