Usually a high-scoring team, the Lithuanians nailed only 17 of 56 shots from the field and conceded they were second-best in all departments.

"In the first two quarters we were fairly good but it changed in the second half," said playmaker Adas Juskevicius.

"We lost our rhythm, there were too many turnovers and we lost our way."

Coach Jonas Kazlauskas added: "When you face the USA you can't afford to lose your concentration for a minute. In the first half we were fighting but then the difference got to 20 points and there was nothing we could do."

While Lithuania's bronze-medal game on Saturday against the loser of the France v Serbia semi should be a cracker, the final may well boil down to another one-sided contest after the French stunned much-fancied Spain in the quarterfinals.

Asked to comment on the 24-nation event's biggest shock, Krzyzewski said: "I am not surprised by anything. We didn't know who we would play or whether we would play in the final."