The United States men's basketball team overpowered Olympic hosts China 101-70 in one of the hottest tickets of the Beijing [Images] Games on Sunday.
Giant Chinese centre Yao Ming scored the opening basket, triggering a deafening roar from a sellout crowd of 18,000 at Beijing's Olympic Basketball Gymnasium.
Led by Kobe Bryant [Images] and LeBron James, the Americans stormed back to take a 49-37 halftime advantage watched by U.S. President George W. Bush and his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
The teams' blockbuster Group B opener was believed to have been the most-viewed sporting contest ever in China, with hundreds of millions expected to watch on television.
The U.S. are favorites to win gold in the men's competition after being relegated to the bronze at the 2004 Olympics [Images].
Complete coverage: Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
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