INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul Pierce put on such a show, it made Reggie Miller's debut merely a footnote.

	Reggie Miller gets a helping hand after chasing a loose ball off the court.

Pierce had another of his scoring blitzes Monday night, cementing his status as the U.S. team's best offensive player. He made seven consecutive shots and scored 20 of his 27 points in the third quarter to lead the United States to a 106-82 victory over Russia.

Pierce has led the Americans in scoring in all four of their games at the World Championships.

"He's one of those scorers who scores a big number of points in a very short period of time,'' U.S. coach George Karl said. "It's kind of fun to watch. I told him after the game that I like shows, and that was a pretty good show.''

Miller, sidelined for the first three games by an ankle sprain, provided a thrill after checking into the tournament for the first time. He made his first appearance with 2:13 left in the second quarter, coming in to a nice ovation after the U.S. team opened a 50-38 lead.

Miller committed a turnover the first time he touched the ball, throwing a bad pass, but he quickly redeemed himself. After a Russian player missed a layup on a 2-on-1 break, Miller grabbed the defensive rebound and then found himself open at the 3-point line. He made the shot just before the buzzer to give the Americans a 54-44 lead.

"If Reggie doesn't make those three points, maybe the game is more interesting than it was,'' Russia coach Stanislav Eremine said.

The U.S. team hadn't looked all that special in its previous two games at the World Championships, with Germany keeping it close for three quarters and China opening a big early lead.

But this one was much more to the U.S. team's liking, and Pierce was the player who turned it into a rout.

Pierce had 10 of America's first 12 points of the second half and added consecutive 3-pointers later in the quarter for an 80-59 lead. He then followed a tip by Ben Wallace with yet another 3 for an 85-61 edge.

"I just tried to give us some energy. I always believe the most important times of the game are the end of the half and the start of the second half,'' Pierce said.

Against Germany on Friday, Pierce scored eight points in 46 seconds to break open a close game.

His streak of seven straight baskets ended with 48 seconds left in the third when he had an airball from 3-point range, and he reacted with an embarrassed smile.

"In the Olympics, they did not shoot the outside shot like this team does, and Pierce is the leader of that team,'' Eremine said. "Our mistake was when we played a zone defense. He is an excellent shooter.''

Andre Miller added 18 points for the United States, which plays New Zealand on Tuesday and Argentina on Wednesday to complete the second round.

Zakhar Pachoutine had 16 points to lead Russia, which was without its only NBA player as Andrei Kirilenko sat out with a sore left ankle.

Kirilenko said the injury, which he aggravated at practice Sunday, could keep him sidelined for the remainder of the tournament.

"I can't sit and watch. It would be better if I stayed in the hotel,'' Kirilenko said.