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U.S. forward Josh Hart (12) sits on the court after a missed shot against Lithuania during the second half of a Basketball World Cup second-round match in Manila, Philippines Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) The Associated Press |
MANILA, Philippines — The United States will definitely attend the Olympics in Paris. That's great. Tuesday also holds a World Cup quarterfinal match for it. That's also a plus.
The guys in the opposite locker room were the only ones in Manila who partied on Sunday night.
The Americans' unbeaten summer will come to an end when Lithuania upset the only World Cup squad made up exclusively of NBA players. Lithuania, with a combination of flair from outside and strength down low, led for the majority of the match.
U.S. 104; Lithuania 110; the final score. The winning team opened the game by making an astounding 9 of 9 3-point attempts, setting the tone for the rest of the game. They also outrebounded their opponents, 43-27, and had seven players reach double figures, with two more coming up just one point short.
The U.S. coach Steve Kerr stated, "We're fortunate that the loss doesn't affect us in terms of our aim, which is to win the gold medal. "But because this is FIBA, it's a terrific game for us to watch. I think Lithuania was excellent tonight. There are some terrific teams that have continuity, understand what they're doing, and execute. They merited to triumph.
With 15 points from Vaidas Kariniauskas and 14 from Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Lithuania (5-0) won its second-round group, which is essentially just important for seeding. Tuesday's quarterfinal matchup pits Lithuania against Serbia while the United States takes against Italy.
Wednesday will see Canada vs. Slovenia and Germany vs. Latvia in the other quarterfinal matches.
Coach Kazys Maksvytis of Lithuania remarked, "In the locker room, I told our boys to rejoice briefly and conserve all the energy and emotions, especially for the future game." "It's incredibly difficult. We have little time to rejoice despite having one of our biggest victories ever. Serbia is waiting, but they're not extending a red carpet or sending flowers our way.
The defeat came on a night when the Americans formally locked up a spot in the Paris Games—the first for the Americans in 10 games this summer, counting five exhibitions leading up to the World Cup.
The goal of winning medals in the World Cup will remain the same despite the defeat. The Americans will win gold if they win on Tuesday, Friday, and the following Sunday. Sounds easy. But Lithuania demonstrated that it won't.
The American point guard Jalen Brunson stated, "Gotta give 'em credit. They arrived prepared to play. Much respect for them.
Yet it was nonetheless shocking, especially for the US team, which was the clear favorite to take home the gold. With 35 points, Anthony Edwards gave the Americans their best performance of the summer, while Mikal Bridges and Brunson each contributed 14.
We will play again, Edwards assured. "The next game is all I can think about right now."
Against USA Basketball, it was another memorable night for Lithuania (5-0). And the country that was once known for its tie-dyed T-shirts sent a strong message to the Americans and anyone else left in this World Cup. Some of the fans in the stadium wore them Sunday night as they chanted and waved flags from the moment they entered the stadium until well after the final buzzer.
Lithuania has repeatedly pushed the United States to its breaking point and beyond. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Lithuania fell to the Americans by nine points in a preliminary game before escaping with a two-point victory in the semifinals and maintaining its perfect record throughout the Dream Team period. Sarunas Jasikevicius' last-second 3-point attempt was unsuccessful.
There have been more close calls or worse since then. At the 1998 World Cup (as it was then known) and in the first rounds of the 2004 Athens Olympics, Lithuania defeated the United States. That also gave the Americans all they needed at the 2012 London Olympics, when they lost 99-94 after briefly trailing in the fourth quarter of their preliminary round encounter.
Playing against the best in the world is "a tremendous win for our nation, for players, for coaches," Kariniauskas added. "I'm thrilled for my nation, and we shouldn't stop now," the speaker said.
Given that both teams entered Sunday having already qualified for the quarterfinals, the game didn't matter much in terms of medal prospects, but there was still a lot to discuss.
As a result of Lithuania's 9-for-9 start from 3-point range, they quickly built a 21-point advantage. In the third quarter, the U.S. qualified for the Olympics thanks to Serbia's victory against the Dominican Republic.
The U.S. then went into overdrive just as Serbia sealed their victory.
The Americans attempted a comeback after cutting a 17-point halftime lead to four points in less than half of the third quarter (4 minutes and 16 seconds). Despite US efforts, Lithuania never lost the lead.
Being one of the top two teams from the Americas Region at the Basketball World Cup, the Americans qualified for the Paris Games automatically. Later on Sunday, when Canada eliminated reigning World Cup winner Spain from this competition, it earned the other spot.
It doesn't take away the hurt from the loss we experienced tonight, according to Kerr. But to be really honest, I have no concerns about the Olympics. With this, I'm concerned. We aim to take home the World Cup. We concentrate on that.
TIP-INS
Lithuania: After scoring in the first half, Kariniauskas made headlines when he gestured with his tongue at American guard Austin Reaves. It appears that it was intended. Spencer Reaves and Austin Kariniauskas were teammates during the most recent season, and Austin's brother incited his teammate to use foul language. That's all. Nothing exceptional," declared Kariniauskas. … After Germany's eight straight victories, Lithuania has won its last six World Cup matches, the second-longest active streak.
USA: Edwards had a field goal percentage of 14 for 26. The United States is attempting to average at least 100 points per game for the sixth time in its 19 World Cup appearances, with a tournament average of 101.8 points. … The US dropped to 133-30 all-time in World Cup competition.
UP NEXT
In the quarterfinal match on Tuesday in Manila, Lithuania will play Serbia.
USA: Plays Italy on Tuesday in Manila in the quarterfinal.
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