USA's Carmelo Anthony says low blow was 'uncalled for'

LONDON -- Hard fouls are fine. Carmelo Anthony has a problem with cheap shots.

The forward for the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team took one Monday night when Argentina guard Facundo Campazzo hit him in the groin while Anthony was shooting a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the third quarter during the Americans' 126-97 victory.

"It was definitely a cheap shot. Something like that, I don't play like that, I don't agree with that," Anthony said Tuesday before practice.

"If you're going to foul somebody . . . foul them hard, but you don't take a shot like that. So I don't agree with that, but at this point there's really nothing that nobody can do about it."

The play happened in front of the U.S. bench, and Anthony's teammates were irate as the Knicks All-Star fell to the court in pain after making the shot. Anthony said they were angry because they knew it was "uncalled for" and wouldn't happen in their league.

"Nobody takes cheap shots like that," Anthony said. "That was a cheap shot. He got one, he took it, he got away with it. There's nothing we can do about it."

Campazzo said after the game he apologized to Kobe Bryant but not to Anthony, because Chris Paul hadn't apologized for punching him earlier in the game.

Anthony and coach Mike Krzyzewski said they hadn't watched a replay but were putting the incident behind them and looking toward today's quarterfinal game against Australia.

Australia has been a frequent elimination-round opponent for the Americans in recent years and another that won't be in awe. The teams went at it hard in an exhibition game four years ago and the U.S. players who were on that team expect more of the same as the competition moves to the North Greenwich Arena -- or the O2 to the NBA players who have already had games there.

"They're definitely another aggressive team, another physical team, a team that likes to scrap," Anthony said. "Everybody likes to scrap out there, so it'll be another one of them games."-- AP