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NEW YORK -- The U.S. has picked the 12 players it believes can defend its world basketball title. The Americans kept Derrick Rose and cut All-Star Damian Lillard and three others early Saturday morning, getting their roster down to the limit for the FIBA World Cup of Basketball. Though team officials had previously said they might carry extra players when they left for Spain on Saturday, and final rosters arent due until next Friday, the Americans decided there was no need to wait. Kyle Korver, Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons also were cut, shortly after the Americans beat Puerto Rico 112-86 in their final home exhibition game. "Since taking over the USA Basketball mens national team program in 2005, this was without doubt the most difficult selection process weve gone through," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said in a statement. "I cant stress enough the outstanding effort and commitment that has been given by each finalist. "I also want to make it clear that this is not just about talent -- each player is incredibly talented and each player offered us unique skills. In the end it was about assembling the best team, selecting guys who we felt would be able to best play the kind of style we envision this team playing." The rest of the roster is: Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, DeMarcus Cousins, Klay Thompson, Andre Drummond, Rudy Gay, DeMar DeRozan, Kenneth Faried and Mason Plumlee. The Americans can still change the roster in event of injury or withdrawal before Friday, a day before the World Cup opener, which is why they originally considered bringing extra players to Spain. "We feel that its better to go with 12 because thats really difficult on anybody if theyre not going to be on the team to travel that far," coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the game at Madison Square Garden. Lillard, Drummond, Hayward and DeRozan didnt play in the game, but Krzyzewski stressed afterward the final decisions on the roster hadnt been made -- and it turned out two got tickets on the plane. "Im excited about the 12 players selected and feel we have excellent versatility and the makings of a really good defensive team," Krzyzewski said. Rose came off the bench and scored six points in 14 minutes. He had sat out the previous game and a couple of practices this week after feeling soreness following last Saturdays exhibition opener against Brazil, his first action since missing most of the last two seasons after a pair of knee surgeries. But he proved he was healthy enough to make his second U.S. team, having played for the Americans when they won the former world basketball championship in 2010. "These guys want to play with him. Thats part of getting back is to be around a group of peers," Krzyzewski said. Curry scored 20 points, while Harden and Gay had 13 points apiece for the Americans, who will play a final exhibition game in Spain against Slovenia and open the World Cup next Saturday against Finland. The U.S. led 52-47 after Thompsons buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of an entertaining first half before a divided crowd that included plenty of Puerto Rican fans. Knicks All-Star and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medallist Carmelo Anthony, who is part Puerto Rican, was in the front row along with golfer Rory McIlroy and tennis star Andy Murray. The Americans lost a number of key players this summer but are still good enough to defend their world title with the roster that remains, though they are vulnerable, which Puerto Rico proved by staying right with them for 20 minutes. But they can also turn close games into blowouts in a hurry, which they did by outscoring Puerto Rico 14-2 to open the second half, with some energetic plays from Faried on both ends, to open a 66-49 lead. "The team is looking great," Puerto Rico guard Carlos Arroyo said. "A lot of young guys motivated to represent their country with a lot of pride and honour, and youve got to give respect to that." Puerto Ricos veteran backcourt of Arroyo and J.J. Barea has loads of international and NBA experience, and they didnt wilt under relentless U.S. pressure the way so many other teams do. Former Knicks forward Renaldo Balkman also started for the Puerto Ricans, who play in Group B along with regional rival Argentina, Croatia, Greece, Senegal and the Philippines. Barea scored 16 points and Arroyo had 15. "Not every game is going to be pretty when we get to Spain, so this is a good test for us and a good experience for everybody on the roster," Curry said. Rube Waddell Jersey . Cavaliers shooting guard Craig Ehlo makes a solid play on the ball, but still Jordan hits the amazing shot. Pablo Reyes Jersey . The San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders are giving it a try, too. https://www.cheappiratesjerseys.us/342e-...-pirates.html.C. -- Charles Oakley, one of the NBAs all-time tough guys, may not return to the Charlotte Bobcats bench next season because of a painful back condition he says was caused during an assault last year in Las Vegas. Dock Ellis Jersey . It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes. Cole Tucker Jersey . Those who impressed in each of the three events were asked to attend the main CFL Combine which begins Friday in Toronto.MIAMI -- Chris Bosh had another postgame scream. For the Miami Heat, that was outstanding news. LeBron James scored the last of his 32 points on a layup that put Miami up for good with 11.4 seconds left, Bosh capped his 30th birthday by blocking Damian Lillards layup on the final play, and the Heat blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead before beating the Portland Trail Blazers 93-91 on Monday night. "If you talk it, you back it up," James said. "Thats what its about. We have guys in here that will deliver the words and then go back it up. That was big-time on his part." Bosh ripped into Miami after a loss at New Orleans on Saturday, saying the Heat arent playing with passion, among other colorful sentiments. He screamed again Monday, this time in celebration as time expired. "This games about passion," Bosh said. "As hard as it is during the dog days to muster it up, the spark has to come from somewhere." Wednesday wont be one of those dog days. Miami visits Indiana with a chance to close within one game in the Eastern Conference race. The Pacers lost in Chicago on Monday night. "I miss the Pacers," Bosh said. Bosh finished with 15 points and Chris Andersen had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Miami, which won for just the fifth time in 12 games. Mario Chalmers added 11 points for the Heat. Lillard led the Blazers with 19 points on 3-for-15 shooting. Mo Williams scored 17, Wesley Matthews had 15, Nicolas Batum 11 and Robin Lopez 10 for Portland, which was down 17 with just more than 9 minutes remaining. "I thought I had a pretty good look at it but Chris Bosh made a great play," Lillard said of his final shot. "He met it at the top. He went up and got it. I saw him -- thats why I floated it. I didnt think he would be able to get to it. But he met it at the very top." The Blazers shot 11 for 39 from 3-point range, taking only 35 shots from inside the arc. "Were tired of losing close games, but you cant help it to be proud of the way we competed," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "It would have been easy to fold things up, but thats not in our DNA.dddddddddddd" Miami was without Dwyane Wade for the 19th time this season, though this absence wasnt part of the season-long maintenance program designed to help his knees. Wade tweaked an ankle last week in Boston. James was on the court getting shots up for about 15 minutes with less than an hour remaining until tip-off. With his earbuds on, sweat rolling off and surrounded by three ballboys, James worked on step-back jumpers, post moves and free throws, yelling twice at himself during one stretch in which he missed three straight from the line. It was obvious: Hes had it with this Heat slide. And Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wanted the four-time MVP aggressive, so much so that he met him on the way to the bench during a first-half timeout and gave him a two-handed shove. "Just wanted him to continue to attack," Spoelstra said. James took 12 shots in the first quarter, tying his career high for an opening period. He made only four of them, three of those being dunks, and wasnt shy about expressing his frustration after a couple of plays. But he got on his customary roll in time. James made seven of his next eight from the floor, and the Heat turned a six-point deficit in the first half into an 11-point lead in the third. An 11-2 Miami run to end the half -- James had six of those points -- sent the Heat into the locker room up 46-42, and another run opened the third. Miami scored 13 of the first 19 points in the third, with Bosh getting nine and James scoring two before setting up Greg Oden for a dunk that capped the burst and gave the Heat a 59-48 lead. And for Oden, Monday carried extra significance, since he was facing the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2007. The lead was still 11 entering the fourth, and Miami opened the final quarter with a 6-0 run that pushed the lead to 78-61 with 9:15 remaining. It was hardly over, but Bosh and James wound up saving the Heat. NOTES: Chalmers tweaked his right knee and left in the first quarter after taking a misstep along the row of photographers who sit just behind the baseline. ... LaMarcus Aldridge (back) missed his sixth straight game for Portland. ' ' '