MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Losing a game at the Basketball World Cup, the U.S. national team said, was quite the wake-up call.
The Americans turned words into actions and handed the Italians their worst loss in a global tournament — the World Cup or the Olympics — in nearly 45 years.
“They created very good shots and they made them.”It was the quarterfinal round where it all went wrong for the U.S. at the World Cup four years ago in China.
Italy had beaten the U.S. only twice in 14 previous tries at the senior men’s national level, both times at the world championships — which FIBA now calls the World Cup.
… Guaranteed no worse than eighth place, this will be Italy's best World Cup showing since finishing sixth in 1998.
Persons:
Mikal Bridges, Tyrese Haliburton, “ It's, Steve Kerr, “, Italy didn't, ” Bridges, Austin Reaves, Anthony Edwards, weren't, Lithuania —, Jalen Brunson, ” Reaves, Simone Fontecchio, Luigi Datome, didn’t, FanDuel, Jaren Jackson Jr, Jimmy Goldstein, Nicolo Melli, ___
Organizations:
Basketball, U.S ., Wednesday, Mexico City Olympics, Italians, Sunday, U.S, FIBA, INS, NBA, ___ AP NBA, AP
Locations:
MANILA, Philippines, Italy, U.S, Germany, Latvia, Mexico, Lithuania, Italian, China, France, Manila, Fontecchio, Utah