MANILA, Philippines — The United States and top-ranked Spain opened their FIBA Basketball World Cup campaigns with landslide wins as only one of eight group games was a close-run affair.
Second-ranked Team USA started their quest for a record sixth basketball World Cup crown by overcoming a slow start against New Zealand to win 99-72 in Manila.
In Jakarta, reigning champions Spain routed Ivory Coast 94-64, led by Willy Hernangomez’s 22 points and five rebounds.
Seven teams, two each from the Americas and Europe plus one apiece from Africa, Asia and Oceania, will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics based on their World Cup finish.
“The whole second unit really came in and righted the ship after the slow start,” Team USA coach Steve Kerr told a press conference. “New Zealand came out, hit us in the mouth.”
The Tall Blacks led 14-4 in the first quarter while the United States battled turnovers and missed shots.
“Obviously, not the start we wanted,” said Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who scored 12 points and posted a game-leading six assists while drawing the loudest cheers from the crowd of nearly 11,000.
The USA will face Greece on Monday and Jordan on Wednesday.
“I love watching them play,” Kerr said. “It’s been an absolute joy to coach them just because of their eagerness to play together and be selfless and to compete.”
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Austin Reaves each scored 12 for the Americans, who remained unbeaten in six games this summer – the first five of them exhibitions.
This game was the first that counted for the Americans, who are trying to win the World Cup for the sixth time and erase the memory of finishing seventh in FIBA´s biggest tournament four years ago in China.
All games on the second day ended with big wins except for a 101-96 overtime victory by Puerto Rico over South Sudan in Manila, highlighting a disparity between European and Americas teams compared with their African and Asian counterparts.
Greece beat Jordan 92-71 despite former NBA forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s game-high 24 points as the Asian side’s naturalised player.
Sixth-ranked Serbia made quick work of 27th-ranked China in a 105-63 win.
In Okinawa, Georgia overcame Cape Verde 85-60, while Slovenia beat Venezuela 100-85, with Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic getting 37 points, the tournament’s highest single-game tally so far.
Twice world champions Brazil routed Iran 100-59, with five Brazilian players scoring in double digits in Jakarta.
The 19th edition of FIBA’s flagship event, which features 32 teams, is the first hosted by three countries. It started on Friday, with the champions to be crowned in Manila on Sept. 10.
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