Lithuania shook with a shock of reality to USA to question his egocentric theory expounded by Anthony Edwards after the scare against Montenegrothe one for which Team USA should not worry about others, aligned with the angry criticism of the NBA environment to Noah Lyles for somehow denying that the NBA is not the best league in the world. The Baltic team inflicted the first defeat on the team of Steve Kerr (104-110) before the moment of truth with the quarterfinals, as angry after the correction of the first half (37-54) as proud to wake up with a splendid Edwards in front with 35 points -14/26 in field goals and 5/13 in triples-, but without reaching him to amend all his oversights and defects. Lithuania, as the first group, will face Serbia in the quarterfinals and Team USA with Italia.
The deep meaning of defeat is what is going to hurt the most in the United States in a game that is not very relevant in practice, both qualified for the quarterfinals and only the leadership of group J is at stake. Like Montenegro, Lithuania, with only one NBA player –Jonas Valančiūnas in this case with the drop of Domantas Sabonis– could be another team to worry about for Team USA.
But the Baltic team, passionate and diligent, was going to bring out the favourite’s defects even more, with Valanciunas himself -12 points and 7 rebounds-, discovering the secrets of the weak inner game of Steve Kerr’s team as a good connoisseur of his players as the most evident lack among all the uncovered of the American team by Lithuania. Rokas Jokubaitis, his NBA project stagnated for the moment, he reached an understanding with the center of the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2-2 game and offered a good impression with 9 goals, 6 assists and 1 steal.
The team led by Kazys Maksvytis does not have a stunning star like Anthony Edwards, but he remains the only unbeaten player in this World Cup along with Germany for, among other reasons, having a compact team with players who perfectly interpret their roles, just what the United States pretends to be in the absence of top-notch stars. As a significant figure, no player from Lithuania reached 20 points, but as many as 7 of them reached double figures to only 4 from Team USA, with Vaidas Kariniauskas (15 points) and Mindaugas Kuzminskas (14) leading the way, with Mikal Bridges (14), Jalen Brunson (14) and Brandon Ingram (10) second to Edwards.
The European team was too much of a team against the lopsided handful of individuals from the United States, who are suffering in the paint beautifully. The Best Defender in the NBA and regular ‘4’, Years Jackson Jr, he is proving too fragile as a center for Team USA, as tender towards Jonas Valanciunas as he was against Nikola Vucevic against Montenegro. The interior of the Pelicans won the game in the low post on both sides of the field, forced to go to the bench at the beginning of the second quarter already with 3 fouls, the former teammate of Willy Hernangomez to cause faults.
Despite the fact that Valanciunas’ dominance diminished in the second half, finishing with 4 fouls, the candidates to stop him were parading within that depth of squad that the United States boasts about so much without Kerr ever finding the ideal, also passing those of Cain Kessler, Banker and Portis.
But the problems of the United States -12-31 down in the first quarter-, went beyond what seems to be their chronic problem. Lithuania, especially in the first half, did what the United States choked on, moving the ball patiently, Valanciunas reversing balls from the strong side, finding a gold mine in the post against Jalen Brunson y Austin Reaves -eliminated due to fouls-, with the mismatches, sweeping the fight for the rebound -43 against 27-, as Montenegro already did.
The massacre from the triple by a Lithuania that did not miss a shot until with 4 minutes remaining in the second set, scoring the first 9 outside shots to finish with 56% against 38% for the United States, also had a great impact, Although we must give a lot of credit to the ability of those of Maksvytis to generate high quality shots. Lithuania created from talent and inspiration but also from the blackboard, plunging the United States into confusion with different variants of ‘Spain Pick & Roll’.
Team USA fell to defend their hoop and collapsed to attack it, entangled in the compact defense of Lithuania, comfortable in the ‘drop’ defense of Valanciunas with the aids breaking in at the opportune moment, lack of ball movement United States, too stubborn in individual plays. The athletic exuberance personified by Mikal Bridges with his two blocks on Jokubaitis and the speed on the counterattack contrasted with the absence of tactical solutions.
Despite suffering the two ‘highlights’ from Bridges, the Barça point guard cut the pace with his defense against Brunson in a kind of whimsical premonitory duel, who knows if Jokubaitis was the team leader’s teammate New York Knicks in the future with the New York franchise still following him.
The real Team USA appears
The one that has to be the real Team USA appeared in the second half. The aggressiveness of those of Kerr in the defense of changes, without underestimating a more choral game in attack, fueled the forceful reaction, with a 28-17 run in the third set that kept the excitement high at the end of the fourth (65-71). Jackson Jr, more aggressive, trying to receive further from the hoop and with the alternative of pick and pop -although he only scored that triple-, put Valanciunas in more difficulties.
But Lithuania, assimilating that they had to suffer, maintained the advantage with their work on the offensive rebound and intelligently reading the change defense from the United States to find a mismatch inside, with Brazdeikis and Kariniauskas unhinging a Team USA with a serious interior, paint and confidence problem, eaten away by doubts at the least opportune moment. Either doubt or, what the world that America has so underestimated expects: a shrill and perhaps unstoppable explosion of american pride.
Datasheet
United States 110-104 Lithuania
United States (104): Mikal Bridges (14), Anthony Edwards (35), Jalen Brunson (14), Josh Hart (-), Jaren Jackson Jr. (3) -quinteto inicial-, Tyrese Haliburton (3), Cameron Johnson (3), Brandon Ingram (10), Paolo Banchero (6), Bobby Portis Jr. (7), Walker Kessler (2), Austin Reaves (7).
Lithuania (110): Margiris Normantas (6), Tadas Sedekerskis (11), Ignas Brazdeikis (11), Rokas Jokubaitis (9) and Jonas Valanciunas (12) -quintet initial-, Mindaugas Kuzminskas (14), Donatas Motiejunas (9), Eimuntas Bendzius (10) ), Vaidas Kariniauskas (15), Tomas Dimsa, Deividas Sirvydis.
Partials: 12-31 / 25-23 / 28-17 / 39-39
Referees: Antonio Conde (ESP), Takaki Kato (JAP) and Boris Krejic (ESL).
Incidences: group J match played at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
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2023-09-03 16:12:38
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