The United States defeated Croatia 106-78 in its first game in the Group B of the FIBA 2010 World Basketball Championship in Istanbul on Saturday.

Mike Krzyzewski, coach of the U.S. basketball team, said that he saw the first win over Croatia in the FIBA 2010 World Basketball Championship as important.

Krzyzewski told a press conference after the U.S.-Croatia game that Croatia played well in the first quarter.

He said the U.S. sped up with the three-point shots and expressed thought that the team would play better in Sunday's game against Slovenia.

Also speaking in the press conference, Croatia's coach Josip Vrankovic said the championship would begin on Sunday for Croatia.

Vrankovic said his team could not play as well as it played in the first quarter, and was bad at 3-point shots and free shots.