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| Paolo Banchero imposes his will inside for the dunk. FIBA |
PASAY CITY--Team USA cruised to an easy victory in their last 1st group stage game in the FIBA World Cup, annihilating Asian team Jordan by 48 points, 110-62, at the Mall of Asia Arena here.
In what turned out to be a relaxed win by the Americans, superstar guard Anthony Edwards finally broke out of his mini-slump after scoring 18 points on 50 percent shooting from the field (8-of-16) built on three 3-pointers.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Bobby Portis each contributed 13 and 12 points to add to another superb Team USA scoring night.
Unlike the previous two games, the red, white, and blue started strong this time behind team captain Jalen Brunson.
The New York Knicks point guard set the tone early by attacking the basket and finishing on a tough layup while converting on a mid-range jumper. The US started the game on a 20-4 run and never looked back since.
However, the story of the game was Brandon Ingram who was moved by Steve Kerr to the second unit.
In an effort to get him going, Steve Kerr opted to bring him off the bench.
Ingram responded with seven points, five assists, and two rebounds while playing with good chemistry along Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reaves.
Josh Hart, who started in Ingram's place, grabbed another 12 rebounds on top of two points, three assists, and one steal. Hart started with former Villanova teammates Brunson and Mikal Bridges and brought an immediate impact on the court.
Again doing his best Kobe impression was Rondae Hollis Jefferson who led Jordan's losing effort with 20 points on 6/14 shooting from the field. Hollis Jefferson added seven rebounds and three assists as Jordan dropped to the classification stage.
On the other hand, Team USA's blowout win will put them up to a 3-0 record, good for first place in Group C. They will now advance to the second group phase where they will face Group D's top two teams in Montenegro and Lithuania.
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