INDIANAPOLIS -- It was the Dream Team versus the Ming Team Saturday night and, for the 26 minutes 7-foot-5 Chinese center Yao Ming actually played, he showed again that he has the offensive skills to make an impact in the NBA -- that is, when his teammates decide to get him the ball.

	Jermaine O'Neal and Team USA held Yao Ming in check.

Yao's toughest defender wasn't Antonio Davis or Ben Wallace -- it was a corps of inexperienced point guards and the FIBA referees who held him to a mere six shots in just 26 minutes overall. He fouled out with 2:47 to go in the fourth quarter.

"Today was a good day and a bad day," China head coach Wang Fei said following the 84-65 defeat. "Our guards are young and need to be trained. I hope they can organize our game better offensively in the future."

When Yao was in the game, his point guards struggled to get him the ball. He took just six shots in the game despite being single-teamed by the Americans throughout. China's guards often lost patience if Yao didn't immediately get his position and instead settled for outside jumpers most of the game.

It didn't have to be that way. Coming out of the gates, Yao did get some early touches and he made the most of it. He finished the first quarter with five points and two assists. Yao showed a quality inside-outside game, hitting a nice turnaround over Davis and then taking the ball outside and shooting a 3-pointer.

When Yao wasn't shooting, he was passing out of the box to his perimeter shooters like Hu Weidong, and they were knocking down wide-open 3s. But the U.S. guards, led by Paul Pierce and Andre Miller, kept attacking the basket and eventually got Yao into foul trouble. Yao picked up his second foul with 2:37 to go in the first quarter. By then, the inside-outside attack of China had put them ahead 21-14.

By the time Yao returned in the second quarter, however, the U.S. defense had adjusted and Yao was never really a factor. He ended the contest with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.

So what's the key to guarding Yao? Wallace and Davis have some advice for the other 27 starting centers in the NBA.

First, keep Yao from getting the ball in the box. The United States did a good job of pushing Yao outside, especially in the second half. By the end of the game, Yao spent several possessions standing in the corner, beyond the 3-point line.

"The further you make him catch it outside the better," Davis said. "Once he gets the ball in the low post he's tough to guard."

Second, make sure your guards put the ball on the floor and take it at Yao. In international play, most teams are so intimidated by Yao that they never get the ball in the paint offensively. That's how he normally stays out of foul trouble. Both Germany and Team USA were much more aggressive, and Yao fouled out of both contests.

"Our guards did a good job of attacking him and getting him into foul trouble. That softens him up a bit," Davis said.

Finally, if you're a player like Wallace, just use the old-fashioned approach -- keep hammering him on the block until he has no desire to mix it up down low.

"We beat him up a little bit," Wallace said. "The more we pushed him, the less fight he put up."

While Davis agreed that Yao had a tough time taking the heat in the paint, he said that luxury wouldn't last forever.

"Now it works," Davis said with a smile. "But as he gets stronger it won't. I just hope I'm not around to have to deal with him when that happens."

What's next for the U.S.?
Team USA advanced out of the preliminary round with a perfect 3-0 record. Next up for America is a Russian team that has struggled mightily in the tournament.

Led by Jazz rookie Andrei Kirilenko, the Russians lost their opening two games, to Argentina and New Zealand, before defeating Venezuela Saturday 86-69.

Does Kirilenko think Russian has a chance to knock off the United States? "Of course the American team is one of the favorites in this tournament. We are trying to keep fighting. We have a small chance against the U.S. We can't afford to come out stiff."

The U.S. will play New Zealand on Tuesday and then will be matched up with their toughest competition yet, Argentina, on Wednesday.

Argentina also advanced out of the preliminary round with a 3-0 record. Led by slick two guard Emmanuel Ginobili, Argentina's physical, high-octane attack could cause the Americans some headaches.

"I think there are two teams in this tournament who can beat the U.S.," one NBA general manager told ESPN.com. "Yugoslavia and Argentina. They have the most lethal combination of great guard play and a solid inside attack. Their backcourt has two NBA players (Ginobili and Pepe Sanchez) and their front court has two more NBA players (Ruben Wolkowysky and Luis Scola) and another guy, Fabricio Oberto, who should be in the league. If the U.S. had problems with Germany, they'll have major issues with Argentina."

Chad Ford writes the daily NBA Insider column for ESPN Insider. To get a free 30-day trial, click here.