2019 United States FIBA Basketball World Cup team

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The United States men's national basketball team competed in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup and finished in seventh place. After winning the past two World Cups in 2010 and 2014,[1] they were seeking to become the first country to capture three straight gold medals.[2] With high-profile players electing not to participate,[3] Team USA was devoid of A-list players from the National Basketball Association (NBA).[4] They lost to France in the quarterfinals, ending their 58-game winning streak in FIBA (International Basketball Federation) and Olympic competition. Normally played every four years, the tournament was moved from its expected 2018 playing to avoid conflicting with soccer's World Cup schedule.[5]

After rule changes by FIBA in 2015, the US no longer automatically qualified for the World Cup despite winning the Olympics in 2016. Changes in timing also resulted in the qualifying rounds overlapping with the NBA's season. Consequently, USA Basketball decided to deploy squads of players mostly from the NBA G League, the NBA's development league. Coached by Jeff Van Gundy, they qualified the US for the World Cup, where the Americans switched to a team of NBA players coached by Gregg Popovich. They finished the World Cup as one of the top two countries in the Americas, directly qualifying them for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Background[]

Gregg Popovich (pictured) replaced Mike Krzyzewski as the US head coach.

In 2015, FIBA changed the World Cup qualification process into a two-round tournament of home-and-away round robins over 16 months,[6] which was similar to FIFA World Cup's process for soccer.[7] Olympic gold no longer resulted in an automatic World Cup bid.[8] The US was in the Americas group of 16 teams battling for 12 spots in the second round of the qualifying stage and finally for seven World Cup berths.[9] To be eligible for the World Cup, the US first had to participate in the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup. The United States had not played in the FIBA Americas tournament since 2007; they had been exempt from qualifying, having won every prior Olympics and world championships.[10]

Players for the qualifying squads were chosen by a USA Basketball qualification committee.[11] Their teams were made up of players primarily from the NBA G League,[12] since FIBA had changed the World Cup qualifiers from summer to year-round,[13][14] most of which conflicted with the seasons of top professional leagues such as the NBA and the EuroLeague.[15][16][17] Unlike in soccer, there is no culture for leagues to schedule in-season breaks for players to compete for their national team.[15] The coach for the qualifiers was Jeff Van Gundy, who is a basketball analyst for ESPN/ABC and a former NBA head coach who coached in the NBA Finals.[11] He made his national team coaching debut in the 2017 Americup.[10] Van Gundy and his squads were tasked with qualifying the US for the World Cup, when the U.S would switch to a team of NBA players coached by Gregg Popovich.[12] The five-time NBA champion Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs took over the national team from Mike Krzyzewski, who won three Olympic gold medals and two World Cups for the US.[18]

Qualification[]

Further information: 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification (Americas)

Playing games in North and South America, the US qualified for the World Cup after going 10–2. They relied on an assortment G League players and free agents, using a total of 54 different players in the 12 games.[19]

First round[]

Jeff Van Gundy was the US coach during the World Cup qualifiers.

In the first round of qualification, games were played in three windows in November 2017 along with February and June 2018.[20] The November team included four players from the US squad that went 5–0 to win the AmeriCup.[7] Only two players—forward Travis Wear and guard Larry Drew II—returned for Team USA in their second qualifying window.[21] The final window was also the first that was not during the NBA season. While some NBA players joined their national teams, the US continued playing with G League players.[22] Trey McKinney-Jones and Marcus Thornton joined the Americans after needing to withdraw in February on account of 10-day contracts they had signed with NBA teams.[23] On June 28, 2018, the US lost 78–70 to Mexico. It was the Americans first loss under Van Gundy and just the second defeat in 30 games against Mexico.[24] It was also Team USA's first loss at the national-team level since 2006.[25] The Mexico squad had just four players from its November team that lost by 36 points to the US They added players from various professional leagues who were unavailable earlier, including former NBA player Gustavo Ayón, who was coming off a EuroLeague championship with Real Madrid.[12] The Americans advanced after finishing the round 5–1.[26]

Pos Team
 Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 United States 6 5 1 506 396 +110 11 Second round
2  Puerto Rico 6 4 2 516 479 +37 10
3  Mexico 6 3 3 439 463 −24 9
4  Cuba 6 0 6 380 503 −123 6
Source: FIBA
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head results; 3) Points difference; 4) Points scored.


November 23, 2017
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 Puerto Rico  78–85 United States Orlando, United States
19:30 Scoring by quarter: 23–17, 16–21, 19–23, 20–24
Pts: Vassallo 16
Rebs: Huertas, Sánchez 5
Asts: Rodríguez 8 		Boxscore Pts: Hearn, Warney 17
Rebs: Warney 11
Asts: Christon, Munford 4 		Arena: CFE Arena
Game moved from Puerto Rico because of Hurricane Maria.
Referees: Michael Weiland (CAN), Julio Anaya (PAN), Leandro Lezcano (ARG)
November 26, 2017
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 United States 91–55  Mexico Greensboro
17:00 Scoring by quarter: 25–12, 15–17, 32–18, 19–8
Pts: four players 14
Rebs: Wear 10
Asts: Sloan 7 		Boxscore Pts: Ramos 12
Rebs: Hernández, Ramos 7
Asts: Stoll 4 		Arena: Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse
Attendance: 3,000
Referees: Guilherme Locatelli (BRA), Americo Rodríguez (VEN), Alejandro Sánchez (URU)
February 23, 2018
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 United States 84–48  Cuba Santa Cruz
20:00 Scoring by quarter: 21–8, 20–16, 21–12, 22–12
Pts: Purvis 14
Rebs: Williams 12
Asts: Williams 6 		Boxscore Pts: 11
Rebs: Justiz 10
Asts: Guzmán, 3 		Arena: Kaiser Permanente Arena
Attendance: 2,033
Referees: Michael Weiland (CAN), Carlos Peralta (ECU), Andreia Silva (BRA)
February 26, 2018
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 United States 83–75  Puerto Rico Santa Cruz
20:00 Scoring by quarter: 20–13, 27–17, 19–22, 17–23
Pts: Harrison 16
Rebs: Williams 11
Asts: Drew II 7 		Boxscore Pts: Clavell 23
Rebs: 7
Asts: Rodríguez 5 		Arena: Kaiser Permanente Arena
Attendance: 1,984
Referees: Guilherme Locatelli (BRA), Alejandro Sánchez (URU), Christian Wilmore (BAH)
June 28, 2018
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 Mexico  78–70 United States Mexico City
20:30 Scoring by quarter: 31–10, 14–18, 10–23, 23–19
Pts: Cruz 24
Rebs: Ayón 9
Asts: Ayón 7 		Boxscore Pts: Thornton 14
Rebs: Jones 6
Asts: Munford 5 		Arena: Gimnasio Olímpico Juan de la Barrera
Referees: Guilherme Locatelli (BRA), Matthew Kallio (CAN), Michael Scott (CAN)
July 1, 2018
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 Cuba  62–93 United States Havana
16:00 Scoring by quarter: 28–24, 9–26, 9–24, 16–19
Pts: Guzmán 16
Rebs: Justiz 9
Asts: Rivero 3 		Boxscore Pts: Munford, Hearn 16
Rebs: four players 5
Asts: two players 4 		Arena: Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva
Referees: Cristiano Maranho (BRA), Fabricio Vito (ARG), Sebastian Negron (CHI)

Second round[]

In the first window of the second round, the US roster had a larger presence of players with NBA experience, though they were still mainly G League players. The June–July window in the first round conflicted with the NBA free agency period and NBA Summer League, while its first two windows were during the NBA season.[27][28] For the second window, the United States again relied exclusively on G-Leaguers, using nine current players and three free agents with previous NBA experience. Nine of the 12 players had not played in the eight earlier qualifiers.[29] The US qualified for the World Cup after rallying with a late 12–0 run against Uruguay to win 78–70.[2]

Pos Team
 Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 United States 12 10 2 1034 814 +220 22 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup
2  Argentina 12 9 3 1037 854 +183 21
3  Puerto Rico 12 8 4 967 939 +28 20
4  Uruguay 12 6 6 824 909 −85 18
5  Mexico 12 5 7 875 903 −28 17
6  Panama 12 4 8 844 930 −86 16
Source: FIBA
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head results; 3) Points difference; 4) Points scored.


September 14, 2018
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 United States 114–57  Uruguay Paradise
19:00 Scoring by quarter: 28–8, 28–16, 28–16, 30–17
Pts: Mason 16
Rebs: Ellenson 9
Asts: Mason 8 		Boxscore Pts: 11
Rebs: 6
Asts: 5 		Arena: Cox Pavilion
Referees: Cristiano Maranho (BRA), Matthew Kallio (CAN), Carlos Peralta (ECU)
September 17, 2018
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 Panama  48–78 United States Panama City
20:00 Scoring by quarter: 7–18, 16–18, 15–21, 10–21
Pts: Carter 16
Rebs: Mitchell 7
Asts: Muñoz 3 		Boxscore Pts: Hearn 12
Rebs: Ellenson 11
Asts: White 4 		Arena: Roberto Durán Arena
Referees: Guilherme Locatelli (BRA), Rodrigo Mejia (COL), Felipe Ibarra (CHI)
November 29, 2018
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 Argentina  80–63 United States La Rioja
21:30 Scoring by quarter: 13–16, 22–16, 23–8, 22–23
Pts: Laprovíttola 17
Rebs: Scola 9
Asts: Laprovíttola 8 		Boxscore Pts: Trice 16
Rebs: Zeller 12
Asts: Trice 4 		Arena: Superdomo
Attendance: 10,000
Referees: Marcos Benito (BRA), Michael Weiland (CAN), Carlos Peralta (ECU)
December 2, 2018
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 Uruguay  70–78 United States Montevideo
20:00 Scoring by quarter: 17–22, 23–17, 14–11, 16–28
Pts: Fitipaldo 17
Rebs: Batista, Parodi 7
Asts: Parodi, 5 		Boxscore Pts: Trice 17
Rebs: Moreland 13
Asts: Trice 4 		Arena: Antel Arena
Referees: Cristiano Maranho (BRA), Daniel García (VEN), Nathaniel Saunders (CAN)
February 22, 2019
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 United States 111–80  Panama Greensboro
19:00 Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 31–25, 27–18, 31–16
Pts: Reynolds 26
Rebs: Frazier II, Onuaku 8
Asts: Trice 10 		Boxscore Pts: Carter 18
Rebs: Carter 7
Asts: Gaskins 7 		Arena: Coliseum Fieldhouse
Attendance: 1,272
Referees: Michael Weiland (CAN), Americo Rodríguez (VEN), Sebastián Negrón (CHI)
February 25, 2019
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 United States 84–83  Argentina Greensboro
19:00 Scoring by quarter: 22–14, 20–21, 17–30, 25–18
Pts: Frazier II 23
Rebs: Adams 6
Asts: Trice 6 		Boxscore Pts: Redivo 18
Rebs: Brussino 6
Asts: 9 		Arena: Coliseum Fieldhouse
Attendance: 1,221
Referees: Cristiano Maranho (BRA), Carlos Peralta (ECU), Christian Wilmore (BAH)

World Cup roster[]

Kemba Walker was the lone Team USA player who was on the All-NBA Team in 2019.

An initial pool of 35 players was named in April 2018 as candidates for the United States' 12-man roster.[30] The list included 11 members from their 2016 Olympic gold-medal team,[A] and five players who had won nine of the previous 10 NBA Most Valuable Player Awards.[B][18] The US held its first minicamp in July 2018, which 23 of the 35 players attended. In the past, USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo had mandated that players attended camps or risk disqualification; however, rules were relaxed in recent years.[14][32]

In June 2019, a group of 20 players were initially invited to training camp to be held in Las Vegas in early August.[33] A number of players withdrew leading up to camp, but replacements were named, leaving 15 candidates to vie for 12 spots on the World Cup roster. Only four of the remaining players had been NBA All-Stars: Brook Lopez, Kyle Lowry, Khris Middleton, and Kemba Walker.[34][35] Of the 11 Americans who were among the 15 All-NBA selections in 2018–19, only third-team member Walker remained.[5][36][37] Lowry withdrew after his thumb had not recovered from surgery a month earlier to repair a torn tendon he suffered in the 2019 NBA playoffs during the Toronto Raptors' championship run.[38]

Harrison Barnes was the only player with Olympic experience (2016) on the final US roster.[39] It had become customary for the Americans' World Cup teams to have few former Olympians.[40] Barnes and Mason Plumlee (2014 World Cup) were the only former senior-level national team players.[41] While Team USA typically drew fewer star players for the World Cup than the Olympics, the turnout was low even by World Cup standards.[37] Only four members from the original 35-player pool were left on the final roster.[42] A factor cited by Colangelo was FIBA moving the World Cup and the Olympics to back-to-back years, and its conflicts with the NBA schedule.[43] Six NBA teams had preseason games scheduled overseas in 2019–20.[C]

Khris Middleton joined Walker as the only team members who were NBA All-Stars in 2019.

The US team was left with only two players, Middleton and Walker, who were All-Stars in the prior season.[44] Measured either by All-Star or All-NBA selections, the remaining roster ranked among the least accomplished of any US Olympic or World Cup roster made up of NBA players since they were first allowed in 1992.[37][44] Excluded was the 1998 World Championship team, which did not include NBA players due to the 1998–99 NBA lockout;[37] they used a mix of non-NBA pro players and college players and finished with the bronze medal.[44] The 2019 squad's two All-Stars from the prior season tied the low set by the 2004 Olympic team, which infamously did not win gold, for the fewest players coming off an All-Star season leading up to an international competition.[44] The five career All-Star appearances of Lopez, Middleton, and Walker was the lowest ever, roughly half the total of past World Cup squads.[44] Their All-NBA total also ranked the lowest.[D]

Walker, who had recently signed with the Boston Celtics as a free agent, was joined on the US team by Celtics teammates Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Marcus Smart. It was the first time Team USA had four teammates from the same NBA team.[E]


United States national basketball team – 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup roster
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Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr.
G 4 Derrick White 25 – (1994-07-02)July 2, 1994 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) San Antonio Spurs United States
G 5 Donovan Mitchell 22 – (1996-09-07)September 7, 1996 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Utah Jazz United States
G 6 Joe Harris 27 – (1991-09-06)September 6, 1991 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Brooklyn Nets United States
G 7 Marcus Smart 25 – (1994-03-06)March 6, 1994 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Boston Celtics United States
F 8 Harrison Barnes 27 – (1992-05-30)May 30, 1992 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Sacramento Kings United States
F 9 Jaylen Brown 22 – (1996-10-24)October 24, 1996 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Boston Celtics United States
F 10 Jayson Tatum 21 – (1998-03-03)March 3, 1998 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Boston Celtics United States
C 11 Mason Plumlee 29 – (1990-03-05)March 5, 1990 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) Denver Nuggets United States
C 12 Myles Turner 23 – (1996-03-24)March 24, 1996 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) Indiana Pacers United States
C 13 Brook Lopez 31 – (1988-01-04)January 4, 1988 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) Milwaukee Bucks United States
F 14 Khris Middleton 28 – (1991-08-12)August 12, 1991 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Milwaukee Bucks United States
G 15 Kemba Walker 29 – (1990-05-08)May 8, 1990 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Charlotte Hornets United States
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Club – describes last
    club before the tournament
  • Age – as of 31 August 2019

Roster

The following were candidates to make the team:

Earlier candidates
Player NBA team[i] Added Removed Reason
Devin Booker Phoenix Suns April 6, 2018[30] June 10, 2019 Not named to 20-man roster[33]
Jimmy Butler Philadelphia 76ers
Mike Conley Jr. Memphis Grizzlies
DeMarcus Cousins Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors
DeMar DeRozan San Antonio Spurs
Kevin Durant Golden State Warriors
Paul George Oklahoma City Thunder
Draymond Green Golden State Warriors
Blake Griffin Detroit Pistons
Gordon Hayward Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving Boston Celtics
LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers
DeAndre Jordan New York Knicks
Kawhi Leonard Toronto Raptors
Victor Oladipo Indiana Pacers
Chris Paul Houston Rockets
Isaiah Thomas Denver Nuggets
Klay Thompson Golden State Warriors
John Wall Washington Wizards
Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder
Anthony Davis Los Angeles Lakers July 15, 2019 Withdrew[46]
James Harden Houston Rockets July 19, 2019 Withdrew[47]
Bradley Beal Washington Wizards July 22, 2019 Withdrew[48]
Tobias Harris Philadelphia 76ers Withdrew[48]
Damian Lillard Portland Trail Blazers July 23, 2019 Withdrew[49]
Kevin Love Cleveland Cavaliers July 24, 2019 Withdrew[50]
CJ McCollum Portland Trail Blazers July 25, 2019 Withdrew[51]
Eric Gordon Houston Rockets
Paul Millsap Denver Nuggets June 10, 2019[33]
Andre Drummond Detroit Pistons April 6, 2018[30] August 1, 2019 Withdrew[52]
Montrezl Harrell Los Angeles Clippers July 25, 2019[51]
Julius Randle New York Knicks August 3, 2019 Withdrew[34]
Thaddeus Young Chicago Bulls August 9, 2019 Roster cut[53]
Bam Adebayo Miami Heat August 1, 2019[52]
Marvin Bagley III Sacramento Kings August 9, 2019[53][54] August 11, 2019 Withdrew[55]
Kyle Lowry Toronto Raptors April 6, 2018[30] August 12, 2019 Injured[56]
P. J. Tucker Houston Rockets June 10, 2019[33] August 16, 2019 Injured[57]
De'Aaron Fox Sacramento Kings August 9, 2019[53] August 17, 2019 Withdrew[58]
Kyle Kuzma Los Angeles Lakers June 10, 2019[33] August 24, 2019 Injured[59]
  1. ^ Player's team at the time they were removed from consideration, listed under column Removed

Exhibition games[]

Team USA was 3–1 in exhibition games. They split two games against Australia, losing the second game 98–94. The loss ended a 78-game winning streak in major international tournaments and exhibitions with an NBA roster, which dates back to the .[60][61]

August 16, 2019
10:00 PM ET
Spain  81–90  United States
Scoring by quarter: 20–31, 20–23, 17–17, 23–19
Pts: Gasol 19
Rebs: Gasol 4
Asts: Rubio 7		 Pts: Mitchell 13
Rebs: Walker 6
Asts: Walker 8
Honda Center, Anaheim
August 22, 2019
5:30 AM ET
Australia  86–102  United States
Scoring by quarter: 20–22, 23–22, 18–32, 25–26
Pts: Tied 19
Rebs: Landale 7
Asts: Dellavedova 6		 Pts: Walker 23
Rebs: Turner 14
Asts: Tatum 4
Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Attendance: 51,218
August 24, 2019
12:00 AM ET
Australia  98–94  United States
Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 25–23, 30–27, 20–18
Pts: Mills 30
Rebs: Bogut 9
Asts: Ingles 7		 Pts: Walker 22
Rebs: Barnes 6
Asts: Smart 3
Marvel Stadium, Melbourne
Attendance: 52,079
August 26, 2019
5:30 AM ET
Canada  68–84  United States
Scoring by quarter: 9–20, 22–26, 16–18, 21–20
Pts: Wiltjer 18
Rebs: Birch 6
Asts: Pangos, Nembhard, Wiltjer 2		 Pts: Brown 19
Rebs: Turner 15
Asts: Mitchell 4
Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
Attendance: 15,155

Group phase[]

First round[]

Further information: 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup Group E
Pos Team
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 Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 United States 3 3 0 279 204 +75 6 Second round
2  Czech Republic 3 2 1 247 240 +7 5
3  Turkey 3 1 2 254 251 +3 4 17th–32nd Classification
4  Japan 3 0 3 188 273 −85 3
Source: FIBA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Czech Republic[]

September 1, 2019
20:30
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Czech Republic  67–88 United States
Scoring by quarter: 14–17, 15–26, 19–23, 19–22
Pts: Satoranský 17
Rebs: Bohačík 9
Asts: Satoranský 5		 Pts: Mitchell 16
Rebs: Turner 7
Asts: Walker 4
Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai
Attendance: 17,800
Referees: Manuel Mazzoni (ITA), Wojciech Liszka (POL), Duan Zhu (CHN)

Donovan Mitchell scored a team-high 16 points and led all Americans with 25 minutes played as the US won 88–67 over the Czech Republic.[62] The Czechs took an early 11–7 lead,[62] but the US pretty much cruised the rest of the way.[63] NBA player Tomáš Satoranský scored a game-high 17 points and added five assists for the Czech Republic,[62] whose game plan was to have their 6-foot-7-inch (2.01 m) point guard use his 6-inch (15 cm) advantage over Walker.[64] However, Walker held his own on defense and had 13 points along with four assists.[64] Barnes was the second-leading scorer for Team USA with 14 points.[62]

Turkey[]

September 3, 2019
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20:30
United States 93–92 (OT)  Turkey
Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 21–21, 18–19, 16–20, Overtime: 12–11
Pts: Middleton 15
Rebs: Tatum 11
Asts: Walker 7		 Pts: İlyasova 23
Rebs: İlyasova 14
Asts: Osman 4
Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai
Attendance: 18,000
Referees: Aleksandar Glišić (SRB), Ferdinand Pascual (PHI), Wojciech Liszka (POL)

Middleton made two free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining in overtime to put the US ahead 93–92, and they hung on to win after Turkey's Ersan Ilyasova missed a 3-pointer as time expired.[65] The Turks were ahead 92–91 with under 20 seconds remaining, but Cedi Osman and Doğuş Balbay missed four straight free throws to keep the Americans in the game. Tatum had forced overtime by making two of his three free throws after he was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left in regulation.[4]

The US led 10–2 early, and were never behind in the first half. They led 26–21 after one quarter, and were up 41–26 with 5:33 remaining in the half. However, US-born Scottie Wilbekin, who was naturalized in Turkey a year before, led a 12–0 run, and the contest remained close for the rest of the game.[65] Ranked No. 17 in the world, Turkey figured to be the US team's toughest competition in the first round. Their lineup featured NBA players Ilyasova, Osman, Furkan Korkmaz and Semih Erden.[4] Ilyasova had a game-high 23 points and 14 rebounds in 38 minutes.[4][66] The Turks played most of the game using a 2–3 zone defense, which stalled Team USA's offense.[66][67] The Americans made 14-of-40 from 3-point range and just 13-of-37 on 2-pointers.[66]

Tatum sprained his left ankle while making the pass to a driving Middleton which led to the game-winning free throws.[65] Initially ruled out for at least the next two games,[68] he missed the remainder of the World Cup.[69]

Japan[]

September 5, 2019
20:30
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United States 98–45  Japan
Scoring by quarter: 23–9, 33–14, 28–8, 14–14
Pts: Brown 20
Rebs: Turner 9
Asts: Walker 8		 Pts: Baba 18
Rebs: Takeuchi 6
Asts: Watanabe 2
Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai
Referees: Manuel Mazzoni (ITA), Andris Aunkrogers (LAT), Duan Zhu (CHN)

The US raced out to an 11–0 lead en route to a 53-point win over Japan, 98–45. Brown had 20 points and seven rebounds, and Walker scored 15 and Barnes added 14 in the Americans' best offensive performance to date.[70] Team USA held Rui Hachimura, Japan's top player and the No. 9 overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft, to four points on two-of-eight shooting.[71] Yudai Baba led the Japanese with 18 points and was their only player to score in double figures.[72]

In addition to missing Tatum, the US played without Smart, who was suffering a left quad strain. Smart had missed most of training camp with a calf strain, also on his left side. The Americans had already qualified for the next round, which lowered the stakes for the game.[73]

Second round[]

Further information: 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup Group K
Pos Team
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 Pld W L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 United States 5 5 0 437 330 +107 10 Quarter-finals
2  Czech Republic 5 3 2 417 395 +22 8[a]
3  Greece 5 3 2 403 382 +21 8[a]
4  Brazil 5 3 2 409 427 −18 8[a]
Source: FIBA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c Czech Republic 1–1, +15, Greece 1–1, +6, Brazil 1–1, –21

Greece[]

September 7, 2019
20:30
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United States 69–53  Greece
Scoring by quarter: 19–17, 19–8, 16–12, 15–16
Pts: Walker 15
Rebs: Brown 9
Asts: Walker 6		 Pts: G. Antetokounmpo 15
Rebs: G. Antetokounmpo 13
Asts: Calathes 5
Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre, Shenzhen
Referees: Aleksandar Glišić (SRB), Ferdinand Pascual (PHI), Wojciech Liszka (POL)

Walker scored a team-high 15 points and had six assists in a 69–53 win over Greece.[74] The NBA's reigning most valuable player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Greeks, but his plus-minus was -17 when he was in the game.[74][75] Coach Popovich went to a small lineup at times, enabling the United States to switch effectively on pick and rolls by Antetokounmpo.[75] American center Lopez did not play at all in the game. Antetokounmpo and his brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, had to be separated from the US team after a hard foul by Thanasis late in the game left Barnes on his stomach.[74]

Brazil[]

September 9, 2019
20:30
  • v
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United States 89–73  Brazil
Scoring by quarter: 21–18, 22–21, 24–17, 22–17
Pts: Turner, Walker 16
Rebs: Turner 8
Asts: Mitchell 7		 Pts: Benite 21
Rebs: Varejao 8
Asts: Huertas 5
Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre, Shenzhen
Referees: Saverio Lanzarini (ITA), Ferdinand Pascual (PHI), Julio Anaya (PAN)

Walker and Myles Turner each scored 16 points in a 89–73 win over Brazil.[76] The US advanced to the quarterfinals, and also clinched a berth in the 2020 Summer Olympics as one of the top two finishing teams from the Americas (along with Argentina).[76]

Final round[]

Further information: 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup final round

France[]

September 11, 2019
19:00
  • v
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United States 79–89  France
Scoring by quarter: 18–18, 21–27, 27–18, 13–26
Pts: Mitchell 29
Rebs: Mitchell 6
Asts: Barnes, Mitchell 4		 Pts: Fournier 22
Rebs: Gobert 16
Asts: Fournier 4
Dongfeng Nissan Cultural and Sports Centre, Dongguan
Referees: Guilherme Locatelli (BRA), Georgios Poursanidis (GRE), Ferdinand Pascual (PHI)

France came back from a seven-point fourth quarter deficit to win 89–79 over the US, ending the Americans' 58-game winning streak in FIBA and Olympic competition. Evan Fournier scored 22 points and reigning back-to-back NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winner Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 16 rebounds for the French.[77][78] Mitchell had 29 points for Team USA, but he was held scoreless in the final period.[78] The loss dropped the US into the fifth-place bracket.[3]

In the third quarter, Team USA was faced with its first 10-point deficit of the tournament, when Popovich went to a small lineup. The United States went on a 20–9 run to lead 66–63 entering the final period. However, the French outscored the Americans 20–5 over the final 6:59. The US missed seven of their 11 free throws in the quarter and committed three turnovers in the final 3:07.[77]

Serbia[]

September 12, 2019
19:00
  • v
  • t
Serbia 94–89 United States
Scoring by quarter: 32–7, 12–33, 27–28, 23–21
Pts: Bogdanović 28
Rebs: Bjelica 5
Asts: Jokić 7		 Pts: Barnes 22
Rebs: Middleton 6
Asts: Walker 8
Dongfeng Nissan Cultural and Sports Centre, Dongguan
Referees: Cristiano Maranho (BRA), Yu Jung (TPE), Luis Castillo (ESP)

Bogdan Bogdanović scored 28 points to lead Serbia to a 94–89 win over the United States, who were assured of their worst major tournament finish ever, surpassing their sixth-place showing in the 2002 World Championship. The Serbs outscored the Americans 32–7 in the first quarter for a 25-point lead, but the US held a 33–12 advantage in the second period to trail 44–40 at the half.[79] Entering the tournament, the US and Serbia were considered the favorites to meet for the gold medal.[79][80]

Poland[]

September 14, 2019
16:00
  • v
  • t
United States 87–74  Poland
Scoring by quarter: 28–14, 19–16, 16–25, 24–19
Pts: Mitchell 16
Rebs: Turner 8
Asts: Mitchell 10		 Pts: Ponitka 18
Rebs: Ponitka 7
Asts: Slaughter 5
Wukesong Arena, Beijing
Referees: Aleksandar Glišić (SRB), Yu Jung (TPE), Takaki Kato (JPN)

The United States won 87–74 over Poland to finish the World Cup in seventh place. The Americans received strong performances from Mitchell (16 points and 10 assists) and Joe Harris (14 points). The US was up 17 points at halftime, but Poland kept the match close for much of the second half.[81]

Notes[]

  1. ^ The other team member, Carmelo Anthony, retired from the national team after winning his third Olympic gold medal in 2016.[31]
  2. ^ LeBron James (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013), Kevin Durant (2014), Stephen Curry (2015, 2016), Russell Westbrook (2017), James Harden (2018)[30]
  3. ^ Toronto and the Houston Rockets were to play in Japan, the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers in China, and the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers in India.[43]
  4. ^ Ranking based on scoring system of five points for a first-team All-NBA player, three points for second team and one for third.[37]
  5. ^ The 2012 Olympic team had Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, while the 2016 Olympic squad had Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors.[45]

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