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Team USA had its biggest scare of the 2023 FIBA World Cup before eventually squeaking past a relentless Montenegro squad. Despite the huge talent gap, the Montenegrins nearly pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament with physicality and teamwork.
Following the Americans’ hard-fought win against a nation of 600,000 plus people, basketball fans trolled Steve Kerr’s team.
“These mfs took Ingram’s talent before this tournament”
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Brandon Ingram, who was supposed to be a starter for Team USA continued his struggles. Josh Hart took his place in Kerr’s first unit to start the game. Ingram showed a resurgence off the bench against Jordan in the Americans’ last game in the group stage.
In the second round, those struggles continued. Ingram had two points, five rebounds, two assists and two turnovers. The New Orleans Pelicans star wasn’t the only one who had a rough night, though.
Anthony Edwards, who ended up being the hero and who led the Americans in scoring, missed all five of his shots in the first half. Jaren Jackson played 20+ minutes and had 11 points but couldn’t grab a much-needed rebound. Nikola Vucevic, on the other hand, had nine points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone.
For almost the entire game, it seemed like the vaunted NBA players left their talents back in their home country. Montenegro led 38-37 at halftime and looked ready to pull the rug from under the heavily favored Americans.
Anthony Edwards told the media yesterday that Team USA’s confidence was at an all-time high and that they weren’t worried about their opponents. Steve Kerr couldn’t have felt the opposite way as the Montenegrins battled his team toe-to-toe until the last minute of the game.
Anthony Edwards, Austin Reaves and the defense kept Team USA’s unbeaten run in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
Following his 0-5 performance in the first half, Anthony Edwards put Team USA on his back with a 7-11 clip the rest of the game. He had 17 points in 20 minutes to turn the game around in the Americans’ favor.
“Ant-Man” has seized the role of go-to-guy for a team that’s desperately trying to find an identity heading deep into the tournament. Edwards came to the rescue again, but he also had a little help.
Austin Reaves, who is a crowd darling, had a huge three-pointer that gave the Americans a 75-68 lead in the last two minutes of the game. “AR” had 12 points, two rebounds and three steals.
Team USA’s defense stepped up when needed most as well. The Americans shot just 5-19 from behind the arc and had a tough time dealing with Montenegro’s size, physicality and chemistry.
After trailing at the half, Anthony Edwards and crew finished with a 48-35 kick to earn a big-time win. The Americans’ defense clamped down when the team needed stops. Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Paolo Banchero and even Walker Kessler fortified that end for Kerr’s team.
Up next for Team USA will be the Lithuanians who walloped the Montenegrins in the group stage. They will have to play much better to keep their unbeaten run alive and to enter the quarterfinals.
