RIO DE JANEIRO -- The night began with Carmelo Anthony?--?while all 11 of his teammates were still on the floor finishing their pregame warm-ups -- sitting alone on the Team USA bench with his arms stretched widely and casually.The night was winding down when Anthony leapt off that bench before anyone else in red, white and blue and headed straight for DeMarcus Cousins, determined to console Cousins, who had just fouled out.Im not really a hugger, Melo confessed afterward.But on this occasion?Sometimes you just gotta give [Cousins] a hug, man, and tell him everythings gonna be all right.Thats Anthony. He always believes its going to work out.Yes: Even with the Knicks.Hes a Hall of Fame optimist.Hes an uncertain hugger but definitely not a worrier. Hes not going to sweat a slow start against Venezuela at the Olympics, hes not going to fret about the foul trouble Cousins and DeAndre Jordan endured against the Venezuelans and presume that even bigger problems on that front loom Wednesday night against Australia, and hes most certainly not going to listen to the naysayers who say hes a better player in FIBA competitions than the NBA.I havent heard that one, Melo said.And thats, of course, because hes not listening to the judgy pundits whove been batting that one around for the past five or six years.Hed prefer to listen to peers such as Team USA point guard Kyrie Irving, who asserted the other day that an NBA championship and a gold medal are pretty much the same.I believe so, Anthony said in support of Irvings proclamation, insisting he finds tremendous satisfaction in his status as the only four-time Olympian in U.S. mens basketball history ... with a record third gold medal now just six wins away.I believe so.It obviously behooves Anthony to take that stance, with no championship in sight back home for Melo and his beloved New York Knickerbockers. Yet he seems so at peace these days in this incarnation as Team USAs elder statesman, in addition to his leading role in the world of athlete-driven social activism, that you tend to believe three gold medals will be enough for him if thats how it plays out.If theres ultimately no NBA ring in his future.I enjoy it, I enjoy it, Anthony told ESPNs Hannah Storm in a SportsCenter interview that aired this week, explaining the pull of representing his country for a fourth time when three big names from what he calls our brotherhood -- LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade -- either passed on the chance to do the same or (in CP3s case) were sidelined by injury.I like it. I enjoy learning about different players personalities, not just as basketball players, but as people. I feel like Im that bridge, that gap, between the veterans and the young guys.Me and Draymond [Green] instantly clicked, Anthony said, because its like we just sit back and we just talk trash all day. ... This whole team, man. ... [On] the first day, we put together a group text, and its like nonstop trash-talking. I know people wish they could see these group texts, these team chats.On this night, folks had to settle for seeing Melo, as Team USAs older leader, stepping up in the second quarter when little else was working. The Americans finally stopped fouling Venezuela in that quarter and watched happily as Melo scored 10 of his 14 points in the period to restore some much-needed order.Really what changed this game was the steal by Melo, Team USAs Paul George said after finishing with a team-high 20 points. Kyrie?came down and kicked it out for a 3. That really ignited us on the bench. That ignited Melo, it ignited that group out there on the court. That was really the turn of events in this game.Not that Anthony was terribly impressed with himself. He has now played in 25 of these Olympic basketball games, more than any other American man, and he just passed Michael Jordan to become the United States third all-time leading scorer in the Olympics -- but predictably, he wasnt aware of the milestones until a reporter informed him postgame.I never even knew that, Anthony said.Why would he?Tuning out the noise and wanting what youve got, Sheryl Crow-style, is working well for a thirtysomething whose NBA legacy remains a matter of fierce debate but whos destined to go down as one of the most versatile and impactful players in the history of the international game.Its all basketball, Melo said. Its all the game of basketball.Perhaps we should be listening more to him. NMD R1 Mens Sale . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night. NMD CS1 Australia . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. http://www.nmdaustraliasale.com/nmd-r1-shoes-australia.html . Howard Ganz, an MLB lawyer, said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos that Rodriguezs claims do not come "remotely close" to what is needed to overturn an arbitration decision in federal court. NMD R1 Primeknit Australia . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. Ultra Boost 4.0 Australia . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. EUGENE, Ore. -- There was one more hurdle to clear for Devon Allen.?He breezed through the first 10 during his win in the 110-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic tr