China’s winless group stage came to an end with a loss to Puerto Rico, while the US put on another strong showing in the FIBA World Cup, winning two straight games with over 100 points for the first time since 2006 as they trounced Jordan 110-62.
With one game remaining, the US qualified for the round of 16 after defeating Greece 109-81 on Monday. According to Xinhua, they simply needed to win on Wednesday to clinch first place in Group C.
The US played aggressively against Jordan, who had just experienced back-to-back losses, and came close to winning with a score of 62-33 at the half.
“We were looking to experiment with some lineups. The challenge with FIBA is that you have only a few weeks to shape your team compared to an NBA season spanning six to eight months. While the game wasn’t competitive, both groups had a good rhythm. We haven’t made any decisions moving forward, but we wanted to explore some aspects,” commented US head coach Steve Kerr.
The scoreboard was filled out by all 12 members of the US roster, but Anthony Edwards stood out with 22 points. The 22-year-old made 8 of 16 field goal attempts while grabbing 16 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists.
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“Our depth will be crucial moving forward; all 12 of us can score. Our synergy is important as we draw energy from each other. Having that depth is really significant,” highlighted the Minnesota Timberwolves’ star player.
Rondae Hollis Jefferson contributed 20 points and seven rebounds for the Jordan team while maintaining his excellent form.
By defeating New Zealand 83-74, Greece joined the US in the round of 16. Jordan and New Zealand will compete in the Classification Games 17-32, while Greece and the US will face Montenegro and Lithuania in the second round, respectively.
Puerto Rico defeated China in a Group B game, ending China’s tenuous hopes of making it to the round of 16. In order to fulfil their Olympic ambitions, China must now compete in the Classification Games.
At halftime, Puerto Rico had a 52-37 lead and had taken control of the match. Puerto Rico held their footing and qualified for the round of 16 despite China scored 37 points in the following quarter to reduce the gap to nine points.
Serbia handily defeated South Sudan, which was making its debut, 115-83 in another Group B match to advance from the group.
Georgia advanced to the second round of the Group F tournament after defeating Venezuela 70-59. Slovenia also advanced, maintaining an undefeated record, after gaining momentum in the second half to upset Cape Verde 92-77.
Doncic led Slovenia in scoring with 19 points despite going 5-of-17 from the field, and Klemen Prepelic stood out with 18 points in the triumph.
In addition, Spain finished Group G play on Wednesday with an unblemished record after defeating Iran 85–65, while Brazil took second place by defeating Cote d’Ivoire 89–77.
-IANS
