The US national team said losing a game at the FIBA Basketball World Cup was quite the wake-up call. It brought a renewed focus, an extra level of commitment, even some promises to one another that things would change.
On Tuesday night, the US turned words into actions and handed Italy their worst loss in a global tournament — the World Cup or the Olympics — in nearly 55 years.
Mikal Bridges scored 24 points, Tyrese Haliburton added 18 on six three-pointers and the US was airtight defensively on the way to a 100-63 win in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Photo: AFP
“It’s been a five-week journey for this group, and there’s five more days. That’s how we look at it,” US coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re the horse turning back to the barn. The horse starts picking up pace when it’s near the barn, and that’s what’s happening right now. Our guys are sensing this is the end of the journey and the energy picked up tonight — the pace, the force. They know what’s ahead. They know what the goal is.”
Gold is the goal, and the US can reach the gold-medal game if they win tomorrow in a semi-final against Germany who yesterday beat Latvia 81-79.
The medal games are on Sunday.
The last time Italy lost a game this badly in a tournament of this level was on Oct. 14, 1968, when the US beat them 100-61 during the Olympics in Mexico City.
The Italians shot 31 percent on Tuesday and were just 7 of 38 (18 percent) from three-point range.
Let that show the level of improvement from the US: Lithuania started nine for nine on three-pointers in what became a stunning victory over the US on Sunday. Italy did not make nine three-pointers during the entire game on Tuesday.
“We just felt that energy from the jump,” Bridges said. “Everybody felt it.”
It was 46-24 to the US by halftime, with Austin Reaves providing the exclamation point courtesy of a follow-slam that had his teammates out of their seats. The margin was that big despite Anthony Edwards — the team’s leading scorer entering the game, averaging just more than 20 points in the first five games of the World Cup — not even getting on the scoresheet until the first possession of the third quarter.
His heroics were not needed. Not much on the offensive end was. The defensive effort — which was shredded for 110 points in a six-point loss to Lithuania — seemed like the best of the summer from the US.
“Everything stayed the same,” US point guard Jalen Brunson said. “It’s just, our approach had to be a little better.”
Reaves finished with 12 for the US, who improved to 10-1 overall this summer. Simone Fontecchio led Italy (4-2) with 18 points.
“They played very good basketball,” Italy forward Luigi Datome said. “They created very good shots and they made them.”
It was the quarter-final round where it all went wrong for the US at the World Cup four years ago in China. A loss to France in the round-of-eight eliminated the US from medal contention and started a free-fall all the way to seventh place, the worst finish ever by a US team in a major men’s international event.
That will not happen this time, and now their formula is clear: lock in on defense, go-go-go on offense and dare opponents to win playing the US’ preferred way.
“We were ready,” Bridges said. “And we’re going to stay ready until we get out of here.”
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
RSS