Madrid ? Kevin Durant scored 15 points, and the United States overcame a poor shooting start and early nerves to beat Lithuania, 77-61, Saturday in a warmup for the basketball world championship.

U.S. basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski gestures during an exhibition game against Lithuania. The U.S. won, 77-61, on Saturday in Madrid.

The U.S. trailed 15-7 after shooting 3-of-21 and making six turnovers in the first period.

The Americans regained their composure against an equally poor-shooting opponent, taking the lead for good at 54-49 after Lithuania was assessed a technical foul and flagrant foul by Mantas Kalnietis near the end of the third period. It was part of a 17-0 U.S. run led by Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon.

“I thought we were a little tight, and they played well defensively,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said from the “Magic Box” center.

Linas Kleiza scored 12 points for Lithuania, which hit 25 of 62 shots to the Americans’ 27-of-58 shooting.

Baseball

Yankees put A-Rod on DL

New York — Alex Rodriguez was placed on the disabled list due to a strained left calf on Saturday, taking one of the most potent bats out of the New York Yankees’ lineup just as the AL East pennant race really starts to heat up.

Rodriguez returned to the lineup for Friday night’s series opener against the Seattle Mariners after missing three games because of the calf injury. The slugger aggravated it again in his first at-bat, then watched the rest of the game from the dugout.

Georgia team in ‘baseball heaven’

South Williamsport, Pa. — Knox Carter got some advice from his cousin, Kyle, and his friends about what it would be like to play at the Little League World Series.

Kyle Carter was part of the Columbus, Ga., team that took the 2006 title. Now, Knox is making his own highlight reel after hitting a two-run homer to help Columbus beat Waipahu, Hawaii, 6-2, on Saturday.

“It’s everything they said it was,” the 13-year-old outfielder said with a smile. “It’s like baseball heaven.”

In other games, Jacob Jones went deep twice and Hamilton, Ohio, outslugged Toms River, N.J., 16-6; Vancover, British Columbia, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth to beat Chitre, Panama, 4-2; and Kaoshiung, Taiwan routed Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 18-0.

In the nightcap, Casey Manning capped a three-run fifth with a two-run blast to dead center to lead Auburn, Wash., past Plymouth, Minn., 5-2, and eliminate Minnesota.

Auto racing

Power win record eight poles

Sonoma, Calif. — Will Power has set an IndyCar Series record with his eighth pole this season. Power broke Helio Castroneves’ 2007 record at Infineon Raceway on Saturday, turning in the fastest time after barely making it into the final round of knockout qualifying.

Soccer

Diop scores 2 for Wizards

Kansas City, Kan. — Birahim Diop, out of professional soccer last season, scored his first two MLS goals Saturday night in the Kansas City Wizards’ 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution.

Golf

Atwal leads Wyndham

Greensboro, N.C. — India’s Arjun Atwal shot a 5-under 65 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead in the Wyndham Championship, the PGA Tour’s final pre-playoff event.

Atwal, who has led or shared the lead after each of the first three days at Sedgefield Country Club, had a 17-under 193 total. He’s trying to become the first Monday qualifier to win since Fred Wadsworth at the 1986 Southern Open.

Lehman takes two-stroke lead

Sunriver, Ore. — Tom Lehman moved into position for his second Champions Tour major victory of the year, shooting a 3-under 69 at Crosswater Club to take a two-stroke lead in the Jeld-Wen Tradition.

The Senior PGA winner in late May, Lehman overcame a double-bogey 6 on No. 8 with three birdies on the back nine in cool, overcast conditions. He was 11 under.

Bernhard Langer, attempting to join Gary Player as the only players in Champions Tour history to win three consecutive majors, shot a 69 to join Fred Funk (70) and J.L. Lewis (66) at 9 under in the fourth of the tour’s five majors.

Miyazato leads; Inkster disqualified

North Plains, Ore. — Chasing her fifth LPGA Tour victory of the year, Ai Miyazato shot a 5-under 67 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA Safeway Classic.

The Japanese star was 11 under on Pumpkin Ridge’s Ghost Creek Course.

Juli Inkster was tied for second at 8 under with Song-Hee Kim (64) and Na Yeon Choi (67) after an apparent 67, but was disqualified because she used a weighted training aid on her club to stay loose while waiting to make the turn at the 10th hole. The 50-year-old Hall of Famer apparently used a “doughnut” weight on her 9-iron to stay loose.

Hanson on top in Czech Open

Celadna, Czech Republic — Ryder Cup hopeful Peter Hanson shot a 5-under 67 to open a four-stroke lead in the Czech Open.

Tennis

Fish, Federer advance

Mason, Ohio — A seven-minute rain delay saved Mardy Fish.

Fish turned the brief break in the second set into a rallying point Saturday. Only one game away from a straight-set defeat, he pulled out a 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory over boyhood friend and high school teammate Andy Roddick in an all-American semifinal at the Cincinnati Masters.

Fish will play second-ranked Roger Federer for the title. Federer beat unseeded Marcos Baghdatis, 6-4, 6-3, in an evening semifinal that lasted only 70 minutes.

’09 U.S. Open champion withdraws

Defending champion Juan Martin del Potro withdrew from the U.S. Open on Saturday, saying he “cannot compete at the top level yet” after having an operation on his right wrist in May.