euros ($9.8 million). The 28-year-old Giaccherini has agreed to a deal with the Premier League club aft | Forum

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Diana Taurasi and the U. Bradley Chubb Jersey .S. womens basketball brushed aside yet another opponent at the Rio Games after being challenged for the first time in the Olympics, albeit for just one half.While Japan played the Americans tough in the first half, the end result was another blowout victory for the U.S., although the 110-64 dismantling of the Japanese team may have come at a cost.Point guard Sue Bird didnt play the second half after injuring her right knee in the second quarter. She told The Associated Press after the game that she felt a pop.Nothing really happened, Bird said of the play. I just felt the pop and anytime you feel that, its a little alarming. So going just to have to get it evaluated afterwards and see whats up. ... I really have nothing to tell you. It happened so fast like. Is it possible I stepped on her shoe or she stepped on mine? I dont really remember, but yeah it felt funny.U.S. coach Geno Auriemma said that they would evaluate the injury.I really dont know. I said well know on Wednesday, Auriemma said. Theres no way of knowing anything right now. Im sure Sues bummed out about it as you can imagine. Lets just wait and see.Coming into the quarterfinals, every U.S. game was virtually over at the half. Not this one.Japan, sticking to its up-tempo style of basketball, shooting 3-pointers and pushing the pace, trailed just 56-46 at halftime. But the Americans, which won its five group games by an average of 40.8 points, had just too much offensive firepower and eclipsed the 100-point mark for the fifth time in six games, outscoring Japan 54-18 in the second half.That is a really good team, they make you work, Taurasi said. They have a system of playing that Im really familiar with. ... We knew it would be a tough game. They put a lot of pressure on you and we felt it in the first half.The Americans, who will meet France in the semifinals Thursday, have played nearly flawless basketball in Rio and their performances apparently have made an impression on Japan.The Japanese players posed for a team picture with the U.S. after the blowout -- the second straight opponent to get a postgame memento with the Americans. China took a photo after their game against the Americans in pool play. Its reminiscent of how opponents reacted to the Dream Team at the 1992 Barcelona Games.I dont even know. Its the second time now in a row, said Bird. Yeah I dont know what happened.In the first 20 minutes against Japan, the Americans were challenged as the Asian nation wasnt afraid to try and run with them. The Japanese quickly got the ball up and down the court and hit open jumpers, taking it right at the No. 1 ranked team in the world.Just as the Americans seemed to be pulling away in the second quarter, opening up a double-digit lead, Japan responded with a 10-2 run.And they looked impressive doing it.Ramu Tokashiki -- who plays for the WNBAs Seattle Storm -- shook free from her defender for an easy backdoor layup that got Japan within 48-46 and capped the burst. It brought a loud contingent of Japanese fans to their feet.Thats as close as they would get. The U.S. (6-0) scored the final eight points of the half with the last four coming from Seimone Augustus, which brought cheers from Kevin Durant and several other members of the U.S. mens basketball team in attendance.Japan scored the first four points of the third quarter, but then Moore started a 10-0 run with five straight points. Brittney Griners layup capped the spurt and the U.S. never looked back.The Americans continued their torrid scoring pace and are still above the 102.4 mark set by the 1996 team that started the run of five gold medals and 47 consecutive Olympic wins.Tokashiki scored 14 points to lead Japan (3-3), which was playing its first Olympics since 2004. The three victories equaled the most ever for the team in the Games, which it will host in 2020.While this game provided the first real test for the Americans, their road to a sixth consecutive gold medal got a little bit easier when Australia lost to Serbia 73-71 early Tuesday. The Aussies had been the only team to hold a halftime lead over the U.S. at the Olympics in the past 16 years when they led by four in the semifinal game in the 2012 London Games. The U.S. won that game by 13. Serbia plays Spain in Thursdays other semifinal.---Online:AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org/---Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg Drew Lock Broncos Jersey .C. at the helm of the top team in the Eastern Conference. His tenure as the GM in Vancouver was all too brief. Though he led the Canucks to what was then a franchise record-shattering campaign in just his second season, Nonis was gone and replaced one year later. Drew Lock Youth Jersey . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Brian-Dawkins-Jersey/ .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. SUNDERLAND, England -- Sunderland has signed Italy midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini from Juventus for four years for 7.5 million euros ($9.8 million). The 28-year-old Giaccherini has agreed to a deal with the Premier League club after winningg back-to-back Serie A titles with Juventus. Dalton Risner Jersey. Juventus says Sunderland will pay the transfer fee over three years. Giaccherini has played 14 times for Italy, including at last months Confederations Cup in Brazil. ' ' 'euros ($9.8 million). The 28-year-old Giaccherini has agreed to a deal with the Premier League club aft