Following "The Decision," there were a plethora of emotions and feelings swirling about with regards...

Austin Carr, who has been with the Cavaliers organization longer than almost anyone alive, is bitter.

Currently the Cavaliers' color analyst on Fox Sports Ohio, Carr will never forget the 1975-76 season, when the team made the playoffs for the first time.

"The 'Miracle of Richfield' year was the best team I've ever played on," he said. "We were 12 men deep. Every night, we were going to play 100 percent. (Coach Bill Fitch) knew no one was going to quit."

Was that a veiled reference to LeBron James? You be the judge.

James left the Cavs in free agency on July 8. Many in Northeast Ohio are still holding a major grudge with James, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Cavs.

"As an ex-player, I might have left myself," Carr said.

All around them, the Americans find compelling matchups for the round of 16: a rematch of the 2006 title game; a coach facing a home country he led to an Olympic gold medal; two bitter rivals to get it all started. All the while, a fairly navigable road right to the semifinals was emerging for the United States.

With the field down to 16 teams, the knockout stage of the basketball world championship begins Saturday with two highly anticipated matchups. Balkan rivals Serbia and Croatia, who fought a war in the early 1990s, play the opening game at the Sinan Erdem Dome. That's followed by Spain vs. Greece, two of the pre-tournament favorites.

Marcelo Machado scored 18 points, Anderson Varejao grabbed 12 rebounds in his longest stint at the world championship, and Brazil clinched third place in Group B with a 92-74 victory over Croatia on Thursday. Brazil (3-2) bounced back from a pair of narrow losses to earn a meeting with South American rival Argentina on Tuesday.

Jaka Lakovic scored 20 points, hitting consecutive 3-pointers to halt a furious Brazil comeback, as Slovenia blew nearly all of a 17-point lead before holding on for an 80-77 victory Wednesday. Slovenia (3-1) took sole possession of second place in Group B, while Brazil (2-2) came up just short again after losing by two to the United States on Monday.