2023-09-03 17:42:08
First fall for Team USA during this World Cup. The United States were surprised by Lithuania (110-104) this Sunday in the Philippines. Victorious in their first four games of the competition, Steve Kerr’s men were surprised by the crazy Lithuanian address. This defeat does not call into question the American qualification for the quarter-finals, but Anthony Edwards and his teammates let their opponents of the day take first place in Pool J, in the second round of the World Cup.
Lithuania scored 56% of their three-point shots (14/25) after a fabulous collective effort: seven players passed the 10 point mark, including Vaidas Kariniauskas (15 points) and Jonas Valanciunas (12 points ), the center of the New Orleans Pelicans. Opposite Edwards’ 35 points were not enough for the Americans. The latter had time to see the defeat coming down on them. They no longer led in the score from the 2nd minute of play, tormented by a catastrophic first quarter (12-31). Returning to five points less than 30 seconds from the buzzer, they were unable to finish the job against a calm team on the free throw line.
Beyond damaging the stature of Team USA a little more, this setback will above all force the United States to challenge Italy, first in Pool I, in the quarter-finals. Lithuania will inherit Serbia. If the Americans triumphed at the Tokyo Olympics, they have not won a World Cup since 2014. In 2019, the Blues took out the American ogre in the quarter-finals, before falling against Argentina. This time, France will not be there to kick Jaren Jackson Junior and company out of the competition.
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