SHENZHEN, China (AP) The first mission for the U.S. is complete: The Americans are going to the Tokyo Olympics.
And now the World Cup quarterfinals are the next task.
Kemba Walker and Myles Turner each scored 16 points, and the Americans earned a top seed for the quarterfinals by beating Brazil 89-73 on Monday in the final second-round game of the tournament.
”A great team effort, man,” Turner said.
It was a win three nations could celebrate: The U.S. victory not only resulted in an Olympic berth, but also clinched an Olympic spot for Argentina and a spot in the quarterfinals for the Czech Republic. The Czechs moved on despite losing earlier Monday to NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece.
The Czech Republic grabbed the last spot in the round of eight via a three-team, points-differential tiebreaker over Greece and Brazil after they all went 3-2 in group play.
Greece defeated the Czech Republic 84-77 in Shenzhen, an outcome that meant the U.S. went into the Brazil game assured a spot in the quarters. All that was at stake was seeding and where it was going, either to nearby Dongguan by bus or back on a plane to Shanghai.
Get the bus ready. France, a 100-98 loser to Australia on Monday, awaits the U.S. on Wednesday in the quarterfinals. Other quarterfinal matchups: Spain vs. Poland and Serbia vs. Argentina on Tuesday, and Australia vs. the Czech Republic on Wednesday.
Jaylen Brown scored 11 and Harrison Barnes added 10 for the U.S. (5-0).
The U.S. opened on a 14-7 run, then led by as many as eight late in the half – yet went into the break with only a 43-39 lead, unable to shake Brazil despite shooting 55 percent in the opening 20 minutes thanks largely to Walker and Turner. They were 9 for 11 in the half from the floor combined, while their teammates were 9 for 22.
Eventually, the Americans pulled away.
Marcus Smart’s buzzer-beating, hand-in-his-face 3-pointer to beat the third quarter horn put the U.S. up 11, and a 15-6 run to start the fourth – mostly by getting to the rim, including back-to-back scores by Barnes, and capped by a 3-pointer from Walker – put the game away and gave the Americans an 83-62 lead with 5:50 left.
The U.S. pushed its winning streak in major international tournaments – Olympics, World Cup and FIBA Americas – with NBA players to 58 straight games.
TIP-INS
U.S.: Walker, who missed the morning shootaround with an illness, was in the starting lineup. … The Olympic berth was clinched because automatic spots go to the top two World Cup finishers from the Americas region, and the U.S. and Argentina are the lone quarterfinalists out of that group. … Smart, who has twice battled leg issues this summer, limped to the bench in the fourth quarter in obvious discomfort. He was walking normally not long afterward.
Brazil: Vitor Benite led Brazil with 21, and well-known NBA names Anderson Varejao and Leandro Barbosa each had 14. … Brazil has lost seven consecutive meetings with the Americans now, but always seems to be a thorny opponent for the U.S. in the World Cup. The teams’ last meeting in 2010, a 70-68 U.S. win, went down to the final second and a missed shot by Leandro Barbosa. And Brazil topped the U.S. in four consecutive meetings at worlds from 1959 through 1970.
TOKYO-BOUND
The U.S. men will be in the Olympics for the 19th time next summer, extending their record. The only Olympic basketball tournament that didn’t have the Americans was at Moscow in 1980, when the U.S. boycotted. The U.S. is 18 for 18 in earning medals – 15 gold, one silver and two bronze.
PETROVIC EJECTED
Brazil coach Aleksandar Petrovic was ejected in the second quarter after picking up his second technical foul. His first came midway through the first quarter after arguing a kicked-ball call, then waving his hand dismissively at a referee’s warning to calm down. The second came when Varejao had a clear lane to the basket, got cut off by Myles Turner and no foul got called – so he went off, and was sent off.
UP NEXT
U.S.: Face France in quarterfinals Wednesday at Dongguan, China.
Brazil: Tournament complete.
—
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
25% Bonus via Western Union
