After an up-and-down first few games in the FIBA World Championship, Team USA found its form Monday—in a big way. With a barrage of 3-pointers and thunderous dunks against an overmatched Angola squad, the Americans won 121-66 in the round of 16 in Instanbul.
Indeed, with a mark of 18-for-38 from downtown, Team USA looked like certain Duke teams of the past. The Americans were only one three off the record for most 3-pointers in a FIBA contest.
“Our guys were sharp,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the game.
The sharpness showed itself early. Kevin Durant scored all 17 of his points and Chauncey Billups had 16 of his 19 before the first half ended. Billups, playing out of his comfort zone as a shooting guard, struggled from beyond the arc in preliminary play, only making 4-of-19 of his 3-pointers. Monday, however, he looked like a different player, going 4-of-6 on his 3-pointers. Satisfied again with his game, the Denver Nugget expressed confidence about his nation’s chances for FIBA gold.
“This is what we all sacrificed our summers for,” Billups said. “Right now we’re on the right path.”
With group play over, the single elimination game against Angola was the first of its kind for Team USA in the tournament. And after watching close contests between Spain and Greece and Serbia and Croatia, the team became aware of the implications the tournament now holds—your squad may be among the world’s best, but it’s still win or go home.
“I think everybody in our group watched the games and they saw a heightened sense of play and emotion,” Krzyzewski said. “They were both outstanding games and the reality then hits, those two teams that lost, that’s it. So I think it was good for our team to see that because it goes up a couple levels now and we hope that will make us even better.”
The Americans play again Thursday against Russia, which topped New Zealand 78-56 Monday.
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