The teams that lacked urgency tonight, one night after their electric meeting, also lacked crispness, as Argentina and the United States wafted through their games as if their heads were awash in the surf.

Jermaine O'Neal had an excuse. Six hours before the United States tipped off in a tepid game against Mexico, he learned that his coach with the Indiana Pacers, Isiah Thomas, had been fired.

O'Neal picked up three quick fouls in the first three minutes and went quietly to the bench. Afterward, he was anything but quiet, saying that Thomas was "a father to me" and that he felt deceived that Thomas had been dismissed.

The United States recovered after falling behind by 7 points in the shaky first quarter. The Americans, ahead by 9 points at halftime, coasted to a 96-69 victory in the second round of the Olympic qualifying tournament and remained undefeated at 7-0. O'Neal recovered, too, and finished the game with 11 points despite fouling out and fuming afterward.

Gregg Popovich, an assistant coach on the United States team, noted that international competition had become much more competitive. "This isn't 1992," he said. "This is a whole decade past it. The coaches are just as good or better than the coaching here. They have just as much talent, per capita, as we do. You're not going to beat people, at least the best teams, like we used to."