The United States will take on Italy in the quarter-finals of the Basketball World Cup as the tournament moves into the knockout stage. This year’s competition has been marked by several surprises, with debutants securing upset victories and traditional contenders, including defending champions Spain, exiting early. The U.S., the highest-ranked team remaining, is determined to start faster and be more aggressive following their first loss in the tournament to Lithuania.
The U.S. basketball team is set to face Italy in the quarter-finals of the Basketball World Cup as the tournament enters its knockout stage. This year’s competition has been marked by several surprises, with debutant teams securing upset victories and many expected title contenders, including defending champions Spain, being eliminated early in the tournament.
The U.S. team, considered the highest-ranked team remaining, is determined to improve its performance following its first loss in the tournament. The U.S. suffered a 110-104 defeat to Lithuania in a quarter-final seeding game.
Team USA guard Austin Reaves expressed the team’s determination to start faster and be more aggressive in their upcoming matches. He emphasized the need for consistent effort and intensity throughout the games.
Unbeaten Lithuania will square off against Serbia in another quarter-final match. Lithuania is coming off a significant win against the U.S., and they are prepared for the challenges ahead in the knockout stage.
According to Lithuania center Donatas Motiejunas, the team recognizes that the real competition is beginning now, and they cannot rest on their laurels.
In the remaining quarter-finals, Germany will face Latvia, and Canada will take on Slovenia.
Canada secured its spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics with a thrilling 88-85 victory over Spain in Jakarta. This achievement marks Canada’s first Olympic qualification in basketball since 2000.
Notably, the final four teams from the 2019 edition of the tournament—Spain, France, Australia, and Argentina—are all absent from the knockout stage. Additionally, some of the early tournament favorites, including Australia, France, and Greece, faced disappointing exits.
South Sudan, a country that gained independence only 12 years ago, earned a spot in its first Summer Olympics as the best-placed team from Africa. Despite being the second-lowest ranked team in the 32-nation tournament, South Sudan managed three wins in five matches during the competition.
The 19th edition of FIBA’s flagship event is being co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. The tournament’s champions will be crowned in Manila on Sunday.
The Philippines, known for its passionate basketball fans, avoided being the first winless hosts since Colombia in 1982 by defeating China 96-75 in their final classification game.
The tournament set a new attendance record, with a crowd of 38,115 attending the Philippines’ opening game against the Dominican Republic in the world’s largest indoor arena north of the capital, Manila. This broke the previous record of 32,616 spectators who watched the U.S.-Russia final at the 1994 World Cup in Toronto, Canada.
Grant Hill, the managing director of the U.S. team, praised the tournament as exciting and noted the numerous upsets that have occurred, making for an exciting finish to the competition.
