USA asserts over Puerto Rico in World Cup practice match

Team USA asserts over Puerto Rico in the opening World Cup practice match

On Monday, USA Basketball uses a 20-0 run in the second half to cruise to a 117-74 victory behind the combined 15 points from Anthony Edwards and Cam Johnson.

(Basketball news) In the first American World Cup warm-up game, USA Basketball defeated Puerto Rico 117-74 on Monday night thanks to 15 points each from Anthony Edwards and Cam Johnson, as well as a 20-0 second-half surge. The United States concluded with seven players scoring in double figures, led by Mikal Bridges’ 14 points.

For the USA, Bobby Portis scored 11, Brandon Ingram scored 11, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 12, Jalen Brunson scored 11 points while pulling down 12 rebounds, and Jaren Jackson Jr. Tyrese Haliburton ended with 12 assists for the Americans, who outrebounded their opponents 53-27.

For Puerto Rico, Tremont Waters scored 17 points, while George Conditt IV contributed 12 points and Jordan Howard contributed 10. Because Las Vegas is a Lakers town, Paolo Banchero nearly blocked a shot with his elbow, Edwards’ head almost hit the backboard during a dunk, Austin Reaves received cheers as soon as he arrived, and those cheers grew louder when he made his first jump shot for USA across his chest.

It was the first of the Americans’ five exhibition matches before the World Cup and the only one that would take place in the country. The team will play Slovenia and Spain this next weekend in Malaga, Spain before flying to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for a game against Greece on August 18 and a match against Germany.

Manila is the next stop after that. The World Cup will take place in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia; the United States will host the event in Manila for the whole duration and play New Zealand on August 26 before moving on to play Greece on August 28 and Jordan on August 30.

The USA are getting ready for a World Cup that, in their eyes, will atone for the defeat they suffered four years ago. The United States finished ninth at the 2019 World Cup in China, which was the poorest result for any American men’s team in a significant international competition. The Americans outscored Puerto Rico 34-18 in the third quarter to extend a seven-point halftime lead into a 23-point advantage entering the fourth. What was a 74-61 game late in the third became a 94-61 game early in the fourth thanks to the strong run.

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