The game came out with a slow start where neither team could maintain a lead, but Team USA surged late in the second quarter. Carmelo Anthony led the team in scoring with 18, while LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Dwight Howard all had highlight dunks to impress the fans in Las Vegas before heading to Asia.

Amare Stoudemire was cut from the roster, as expected. Stoudemire will remain home to work on the rehab of his knee.

The NBA announced a rule change for the playoff format. Under the new rules, the three division winners and the next best team in each conference will be assigned the top seeds based on their overall records. The addition of ‘the next best team’ in the rule means that even if the team doesn’t win their division, they could still possibly get the #2 or #3 seed.

Congratulations to basketball, which is about to be named the state sport of Massachusetts.

The Phoenix Suns obviously value Leandro Barbosa as the team’s backup to Steve Nash. Barbosa signed a five-year extension worth $32 million. The team is also negotiating on an extension with Boris Diaw.

DeShawn Stevenson signed with the Washington Wizards, but not for the contract he was hoping for. The deal is two years for the league minimum, though Stevenson has the option to become a free agent again next summer.

If the New York Knicks don’t sign Jared Jeffries, there is a strong possibility Darius Miles will end up in a Knicks uniform. Hopefully, Miles isn’t hoping to play with one of his close friends Quentin Richardson, who would be involved in the deal.

Daily Basketball will be taking a break tomorrow, but check back on Monday for the latest news and rumors as usual.