Team USA improved to 2-0 in Group Phase play at the 2023 FIBA World Cup with a 109-81 win over Greece from the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
The win guarantees that the US will advance to the second round of the Group Phase ahead of their final game of the first round against Jordan on Wednesday (4:40 a.m. ET, ESPN2).
Here are five things that stood out from Monday’s game.
1. Reaves, bench unit deliver again
The bench provided much-needed spark for Team USA for the second straight game. In Saturday’s game against New Zealand, the reserves got things back on track after being down by 10 points just four minutes into the game. Against Greece, the starters played their opponents nearly even before the bench came in and gave the USA a double-digit cushion that they never relinquished. The USA bench contributed 60 points compared to 49 for the starters.
Reaves led the way with 15 points, five rebounds and six assists in just 17 minutes on court, while showing off all facets of his game. He hit a sweet Eurostep move for a layup that drew a huge crowd reaction, found open teammates while pushing the ball in transition, and found ways to draw fouls with hesitation dribbles and his shifty moves on the perimeter.
Reaves was also a magnet for contact the moment he hit the floor, being fouled on his first three possessions of the game. He finished the game 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Austin Reaves. Eurostep. Bucket.
📺: #USABMNT vs. Greece is live on ESPN2 #FIBAWC | #WinForAll
pic.twitter.com/I6sxS4GCqN— NBA (@NBA) August 28, 2023
Then there is Paolo Banchero, who once again shined as a small-ball five, finishing with eight points and three rebounds in 14 minutes.
As Banchero and Reaves were racking up fouls on the Greek defenders, Josh Hart was collecting rebounds all game long. He grabbed a game-high 11 boards, including five offensive, as the Americans outrebounded the Greeks 40-25 on the night.
2. USA dominates at free-throw line
In addition to the six free throws apiece from Reaves and Banchero, the US made a parade to the foul line all night.
They finished 30-for-34 on the evening, with the only misses coming from Banchero and Walker Kessler. Team USA made their first 22 free throws before Banchero split a pair with 2:55 left in the third quarter.
After going 21-for-27 at the line against New Zealand, the US is now shooting 51-for-61 (83.6%) on free throws through the first two games of the Group Phase. Team USA’s ability to draw contact and get to the line not only allows them to get easy points if their offense is in a rut, but also puts their opponents in foul trouble. In FIBA competition, players are disqualified after five fouls as opposed to six in the NBA.
The Americans were able to shoot 88% at the line on Monday despite the best efforts of a fan screaming on every attempt to try to distract them. They even had a little fun in the process with Anthony Edwards mimicking the scream after hitting a pair.
Ant yelling back at a fan who was making noise during his FT’s 🗣?😂
📺: #USABMNT vs. Greece is live on ESPN2 #FIBAWC | #WinForAll
pic.twitter.com/Oif97AoHch— NBA (@NBA) August 28, 2023
3. Collective effort
No player logged more than 21 minutes (Haliburton) and only Edwards and Hart hit the 20-minute mark as Kerr distributed the minutes among all 12 players on the roster.
Jalen Brunson and Edwards led the starting five with 13 points apiece. Brunson was aggressive from the opening tip, looking for his shot early and scoring six of his 13 points in the opening quarter. Edwards got off to a slow start with just four points on 1-for 6 over the first two periods before getting going in the second half where he scored the first five points for Team USA.
The other three starters – Jaren Jackson Jr. (nine points, two steals, two blocks), Mikal Bridges (nine points, three assists) and Brandon Ingram (five points, three rebounds) combined for 23 points; similar to the 21 the trio posted in the New Zealand game.
Reaves and Haliburton continue to be a dynamic duo off the Team USA bench; the two players complement each other well and bring an elevated energy to the court. Hart made all the effort plays that have made him such an impactful player in the NBA and with Team USA. Cam Johnson didn’t have his shot going, hitting just 2-for-7 from the field but was the only American with multiple 3-pointers against Greece.
Bobby Portis racked up 10 points in 13 minutes and Walker Kessler added four points in six minutes, though neither played in the second half.
JJJ putting in WORK with the back-to-back blocks 😤
📺: #USABMNT vs. Greece is live on ESPN2 #FIBAWC | #WinForAll
pic.twitter.com/prPaZInW1D— NBA (@NBA) August 28, 2023
4. Cleaner, more efficient in second outing
Despite the Americans earning a 27-point win over New Zealand in the opener, there was still room for improvement entering Monday’s game.
The shooting numbers between the two games are very similar from field as the US made 35 field goals in both games. But the key difference comes in assist/turnover ratio. The Americans assisted on 26 of their 35 made baskets against Greece, compared to just 23 against New Zealand. The Americans turned the ball over only 11 times against Greece after committing 19 miscues against New Zealand.
- Field Goals: 35-of-61 (57.4%) vs. Greece; 35-of-59 (59.3%) vs. New Zealand
- 3-Point Shots: 9-of-22 (40.9%) vs. Greece; 8-of-18 (44.4%) vs. New Zealand
- Free Throws: 30-of-34 (88.2%) vs. Greece; 21-of-27 (77.8%) vs. New Zealand
- Assists/Turnovers: 26 AST/11 TOV vs. Greece; 23 AST/19 TOV vs. New Zealand
When USA shares the ball at a high level and gives up good looks for wide-open looks, they find success. The same goes for winning the turnover battle. When the squad can force their opponents into live-ball turnovers, they can break out for easy baskets. In the win over Greece, the Americans outscored the Greeks 32-6 on fast break points and had a 20-11 advantage in points off turnovers.
5. Haliburton brings showtime to World Cup
Tyrese Haliburton scored 9 points off the bench for Team USA as he wowed fans in Manila with his electrifying play.
Through the first two games of the tournament, Tyrese Haliburton has showcased his passing skills with a number of no-look dimes that have garnered reactions from the crowd and his teammates.
This connection 👀@TyHaliburton22 🤝 @Pp_doesit
📺 ESPN2/ESPN+
🇺🇸 #USABMNT #WinForUSA pic.twitter.com/bLM5tfdeb5— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 28, 2023
But perhaps the play of the day involved Haliburton, Reaves and Portis in transition. It starts with a steal by Reaves and a behind-the-back dribble to get the break started. He passes it ahead to a streaking Haliburton on the right wing, who catches and immediately throws a behind-the-back pass back to Reaves. Reaves makes the catch in the lane and drops a behind-the-head pass over to Portis for the open layup.
All of that went down in less than 10 seconds. It ended with Haliburton skip-running back toward the bench and high-fiving Reaves as Greece called a timeout.
Having a good time!
🇺🇸 #USABMNT #WinForUSA pic.twitter.com/XRw1ydGrjh
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 28, 2023
Team USA is combining efficient play with a sense of flair and fun through the first two games of the tournament. There may not be as many opportunities for showtime plays as the competition increases in the latter stages of the tournament, but the opening round of the Group Phase has been pretty entertaining from this US squad.
