By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
After two blowout exhibition wins, the USA Basketball Men’s National Team was braced for a stern test Sunday as it faced top-ranked Spain in hostile territory.
Consider that test passed in a convincing fashion.
Jalen Brunson went 9-of-9 from the field en route to 21 points, including 16 in the first half, as the second-ranked U.S. pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 98-88 victory over defending FIBA World Cup champion Spain as part of the USA Basketball Showcase in Malaga, Spain.
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The U.S. improved to 3-0 on its five-game exhibition tour before the World Cup in Manila, Philippines. Next up are two games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, facing Greece on Friday and Germany on Sunday. Both games start at noon ET and will be televised by FS1 and Fox, respectively. The Americans open World Cup play Aug. 26 vs. New Zealand, then faces Greece, its next opponent in the USA Basketball Showcase.
“It’s a great basketball game,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said. “Wonderful atmosphere. A great challenge for us in our one true road game on this tour. Very proud of our guys playing against a great team. Spain made the run and took the lead in the third quarter. I love the way our players responded and closed the third quarter and started the fourth.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. added 14 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots, while Mikal Bridges had 12 points and Anthony Edwards and Brandon Ingram 11 each for the U.S., which shot 66.6% (40-60 FG), including making 10-of-18 (55.6%) from 3-point range. Shooting has definitely been a strong suit of the U.S. in its three exhibitions, making 127-of-224 shots for 56.7%. Edwards also had a team-best eight rebounds.
“A lot of trust in our coaches,” Bridges said of playing back-to-back games. “They prepared us really well, they got the scout(ing report). Puerto Rico is different from Spain and we have the utmost confidence and trust in our coaches that they are going to prepare us every night. All we can do is go out there and play as hard as we can.”
Santi Aldama and Willy Hernangomez, two of Spain’s NBA players, had 14 and 13 points, respectively. The U.S. defense held Spain to 42.5% shooting (31-of-73).
“It’s an unreal environment,” said Brunson, who also had five assists. “The Spanish fans and that team out there were amazing. But as a team for us, we find a way to stay locked in together and still find a way to win.”
A day after a 92-62 win over Slovenia, the U.S. faced a Spain team that supplanted the Americans in the No. 1 spot in the FIBA rankings. While this result won’t have any bearing on those rankings, it would make a rematch at the World Cup in the knockout stage even more enticing.
Brunson was assertive from the opening tip, scoring seven of the first nine U.S. points. The defense also was ready to go and set the tone for the rest of the game with Jackson Jr. anchoring the interior defense and the perimeter defenders rotating quickly to deny 3-point attempts. Despite Brunson’s 10 first quarter points and the U.S. shooting 61.1% (11-18 FG), the Americans trailed after the opening 10 minutes 28-26. Spain only shot 47.6% (10-21 FG), but did go 4-of-7 from 3-point range and took advantage of five U.S. turnovers.