Reuters/Gran Canaria, Spain

A second-string U.S. team started their basketball World Cup title defence with a 114-55 mauling of Finland on Saturday, while Pau Gasol also lit up the opening day with 33 points and eight rebounds for hosts Spain in a 90-60 victory over Iran.
Group B favourites Croatia bounced back from a lacklustre Day One showing to beat Argentina 90-85 yetserday.
In Group C, the Dominican Republic controlled most of the game versus New Zealand, pulling away in the fourth quarter to win 76-63. The Dominicans were fuelled by an explosive performance from their leader Francisco Garcia, who finished with 29 points and six rebounds. Jack Michael Martinez added 12 points and six rebounds.
A day after struggling to beat minnows Philippines, Croatia were excellent from behind the three-point line - making 13 triples - and shared the offensive load with Krunoslav Simon’s 18 points leading five players in double figures. Bojan Bogdanovic and Oliver Lafayette both had 16 points as Croatia improved to 2-0 in the group.  
The United States, with their top players from the NBA declining to play in the 24-nation event, struggled early on to impose themselves on the Finns, who were roared on by some 8,000 of their noisy fans at Bilbao’s Bizkaia Arena.
However, the crowd fell silent as the athletic U.S. team found their stride and raced out to a 60-18 halftime lead.
The Americans confined Finland to a handful of free throws from late in the first quarter until early in the third, while hitting three-pointers and converting fast breaks at the other end almost at will. Klay Thompson netted 18 points and centre Anthony Davis added 17, with all 12 U.S. players scoring in a one-sided contest. “We had a pretty good first quarter but we felt we could take it to another level,” guard James Harden told ESPN television.

DEFENSIVE INTENSITY
Spain, packed with NBA and Euroleague talent, never needed to get out of second gear against Iran in Granada, and are unlikely to face stiffer resistance on Sunday against Egypt. Gasol led the way with a superb all-round performance and his brother Marc chipped in with 15 and 10 boards for the Spaniards, who are bidding to win their second title after beating Greece in the 2006 final.
“It was a good win to start the championship but we still need to show more intensity in defence,” Marc Gasol told Cuatro television. “The backing from the fans means a lot to us, this is only the start and there is a long way to go.”