By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Manila, Philippines – “We just set the tone early, that’s what we were preaching”, said Mikal Bridges admitted that the starters against Italy were again a bit slow, but in total USA put on a 40-minute consistent effort.
Coach Steve Kerr had an ever better way to illustrate things, using a metaphor.
Team USA wants to finish the job in the FIBA World Cup and according to Kerr: “It’s been a five-week journey for this group and there are five more days. We are the horse turning back to the barn and the horse picks up its pace when it returns. The players pick up the pace, they know what’s next and I know that they will have the same energy going forward”.
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After all, beating Italy 100-63 was a statement with Kerr adding: “That was our best defensive effort and that’s what it’s going to take to win two difficult games. We lost the last game and you always want to respond with a competitive effort. The joy and the competitiveness go hand in hand. When you compete and you have that energy it becomes infectious and that’s fun. And that’s when the game it’s at its peak”.
Bridges added his own example illustrating this: “We always had this swagger, but we felt the energy from the start. I gave “Ant” (ed. note: Anthony Edwards) a big shoutout because he can get thirty whatever he can, but he was able to find guys and he is happy now in the locker rooms. He can be dominant, but he did that and ultimately everyone was happy and we will continue like this until we get out of here”.
“Here” is the FIBA World Cup, in which Bridges is adapting fairly well, even if he got a “T” for celebration and as he said about the difficulties: “Maybe some rules and also the physicality. I think traveling, the fact we have to put the ball down really quickly”.
On the other hand, coach Kerr talked about the teams that are competing in the tournament, in combination with the fact that Lithuania which beat the USA, got beaten in the quarterfinals fairly easily by Serbia: “We have great respect for FIBA basketball and as coaches, we have to teach them that FIBA is a different game. Lithuania was amazing and I didn’t see the first quarterfinal game, but I guess that Serbia was brilliant. There has been great basketball in the former Yugoslavia area for a long time and there are great teams here”.