American Derrick Rose drives to the basket during their game against the Iranians in the FIBA World Championship Wednesday in Istanbul, Turkey. US won, 88-51, to advance to the Round of 16. (Reuters)

Team USA displayed its terrific form in edging Asia powerhouse Iran on Thursday, 88-51, to notch its fourth win in as many games in the 2010 World Basketball Championships at Istanbul in Turkey.

Setting aside political strife and focusing on advancing towards the next round of the tournament, the Americans overwhelmed the Iranians at the onset, racing to a 42-28 lead at halftime and never looking back despite coach Mike Krzyzewski's ploy to rest most of his starters after a grueling match against Brazil last Monday.

Kevin Love, playing center for the Minnesota Timberwolves, led the American's charge with 13 points and six rebounds, and had the much needed help from Kevin Durant (12 points), Derrick Rose (11 points), and Danny Granger (10 points).

The Americans dominated the game from start to finish, shooting a very high field goal percentage (63.8 percent, as compared to Iran's 38.7 percent shooting), and grabbing more rebounds than the opposing team (39-31).

After playing his starters for most of the second half of a 70-68 victory over Brazil on Monday, U.S. Krzyzewski went to the bench early in this one, with the Americans shooting 58 percent and scoring 23 points off turnovers in the easy victory.

Seven-foot-two Hamed Haddadi, who suits up for the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA, for scored 19 points for Iran (1-3) and Arsalan Kazemi had 14.

The U.S. team tried to keep the focus on the floor, with Krzyzewski saying he had played in Iran in the 1970s with an Armed Forces team and had great respect for the country.

“We are just here to play basketball,” Durant said Monday. “The political situation is something we cannot control. We have to go and just play the game of basketball.”

There’s no rivalry on the basketball court, where the nations had never met in Olympic or world championship play. The Iranian national team even came to Utah two years ago at the invitation of the NBA to play in a summer league as preparation for the 2008 Olympics.

Iranian fans, many waving flags and chanting, had plenty to cheer early. Haddadi won the opening tip, Durant fired a pass behind Andre Iguodala and out of bounds on the Americans’ first possession, and the U.S. lead was only six after one quarter.

But the Americans quickly pushed it into double digits in the second and gradually extended it to 14 at halftime, then opened the second half with another burst to push it past 20 and turn Group B’s second game of the night into a dull affair.

Following Thursday’s game against winless Tunisia, the Americans will have three days off before playing Monday against an opponent still to be determined. But a difficult quarterfinal could follow, with Spain looming as a possible opponent after two surprising losses have dropped the defending world champions into third place in their group. (With reports from AP)