SAITAMA -- Humbled by defeat to Greece on Friday, Team USA responded with a character-building win over Argentina in the FIBA World Championship third-place game.

The final score -- 96-81 -- was less important than the act of winning on Saturday night at Saitama Super Arena.

U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski had talked about his short time at the helm as a process that'll take time. He noted that the Greeks have built a program for years, from the youth levels to the senior national team.

With two years until the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coach K has the building blocks in place -- cornerstones/co-captains Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony -- to be a much-improved club.

"These are positive steps in the direction we are trying to go," said Coach K.

In essence, the fourth quarter was one big exclamation point for Team USA, a reminder that the team's athleticism is No. 1 in the world. The U.S. outscored Argentina 27-19 in the fourth.

James' emphatic slam dunk and subsequent foul shot accounted for the game's final points.

"I thought it was an excellent game," Coach K said. "I think both teams when they are fresh can play at a much higher level."

But the fourth quarter belonged to Wade. The Miami Heat's hero of the NBA Finals reprised his superman role in the second half, scoring 23 of his game-high 32 points in that span, including 18 in the fourth. He finished 13-for-17 from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3-point range.

For Argentina, rebounding from a one-point loss to Spain on Friday was difficult.

"I've got to say it wasn't easy to come back from a loss like yesterday's," said Manu Ginobili. "Physically and mentally we were out of the game. We were not as smart as we should have (been)."

James had a spectacular all-around game, scoring 20, grabbing nine rebounds and adding seven assists for good measure. Anthony had 15 points and played with a motor's-always-running-at-full-speed demeanor, which was contagious to his teammates.

Elton Brand fouled out with 1:35 left with 13 points and six rebounds. Shane Battier had three of the team's seven steals.

Argentina's Luis Scola (19 points) was a non-factor in the second half. He was held to four points in that span after torching the net for 15 first-half points. Teammate Andres Nocioni, a rising star on the Chicago Bulls, scored 18, Carlos Delfino had 13 and Ginobili 10.

Argentina had no defensive answer in the paint for Team USA. The U.S. outscored the reigning Olympic champs 60-44 in the lane.

In the third quarter, Coach K's squad played an energetic, entertaining brand of ball, pushing the tempo, taking quick 3-point shots and attacking the rim. Team USA took a 64-57 lead on James' spectacular alley-oop slam. Wade lobbed a pass to him on a 2-on-1-break. James punctuated the 9-2 run with a 3-point play with 3:33 left in the quarter.

After three quarters, Argentina faced a 69-62 deficit.

Wade slammed the ball through the bucket to push the lead back to double digits with 9:04 to play. He then hit two free throws to make it an 11-point game 30 seconds later.

The Miami star was a whirling dervish in this game, zipping through microscopic cracks in the defense and making a pass, a jump-stop, then a rainbow J or a dunk -- you name it, he did it.

The U.S. got off to a slow start, trailing 12-4 at the start. Argentina held a 17-9 lead with 4:57 remaining in the opening quarter.

Argentina hit 7 of 8 shots from two-point range to start the game, keying the early lead. This included 4-for-5 from Scola.

Scola had 12 of Argentina's first-quarter points, helping his team take a 27-21 advantage into the second.

In the first half, the U.S. squad's lack of interior muscle was a glaring weakness for the second game in as many days. The Greeks imposed their will inside Friday, and Argentina followed suit Saturday for two quarters.

At the outset of the game, Argentina started off by hitting 16 of its first 22 shots from inside the arc. Delfino was 5-for-5 in that torrid stretch.

The U.S. stayed composed and fought its way back to within 46-45 on Anthony's 3-pointer with 1:31 left before halftime. Brand tied it at 46-all on a free throw.

Seconds later, Ginobili was fouled by Anthony as he released a 3-point shot, so he stepped to the line for three shots. He drained two of them and the South Americans took a two-point lead.

The U.S. called a timeout with 22 seconds to draw up a play. It worked to perfection as Team USA took a lead that it never lost.