By Neil Jerome Morales
MANILA (Reuters) – 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 on Saturday.
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.
“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.
Team USA face Greece on Monday and Jordan on Wednesday.
In Jakarta, reigning champions Spain routed Ivory Coast 94-64, led by Willy Hernangomez’s 22 points and five rebounds.
Spain, FIBA’s number one team, aim to be the fourth nation with back-to-back crowns and win at least three World Cup trophies. Spain play Brazil on Monday and Iran on Wednesday.
The top two teams in the eight groups qualify for the last 16, with the bottom two entering the classification rounds.
BIG WINS
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.
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.
(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Ken Ferris)
