Team USA has travelled around the world in the last couple weeks, winning all five of their tune-up matches ahead of the FIBA World Cup and finally won the tournament opener 99-72 against New Zealand this Saturday.
Austin Reaves, the Lakers rising star, gets cheered everytime he steps on the floor. With the United States jersey he keeps proving he deserves all the praise, as he was his nation’s most outstanding player in this weekend’s first contest of the international competition.
By the end of the match, he was consistent on all sides of the court, dropping 12 points, handing out 6 assists and stealing the ball three times. However, his most important asset was his plus/minus, producing a plus-19 effect on the flow of the game.
This is the kind of reactions the 25-year-old is recieving in the Philippines, where Team USA will play their first three group stage games:
Austin Reaves is an absolute star in the Philippines ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/awIDlUIwTO
— 🦉 Lakers Vino (@VinoUncorked) August 27, 2023
At one point in the game, Reaves hit a three-pointer as the sellout crowd at the Mall of Asia exploded in an powerful roar, while he celebrated with his “ice in my veins” pose.
“I was one of those kids watching the World Cup [and] the Olympics, so every day I wake up and cherish those moments,” the athlete said. “I’m from a super small town, and not a lot of people expected me to be here representing our country. So for the [crowds] to accept me the way that they accept me, it means a lot to me.”
Other players who deserve recognition for their exhibitions this weekend were Magic foward Paolo Banchero, who finished with 21 points, and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who was plus-13 with 10 points. Both athletes came off the bench and saved the Team USA starters from an unimpressive first quarter.
“I think those are my first 3s I’ve hit since I’ve been playing with the team,” Banchero said as he made his first six shots this Saturday. “We pride ourselves on, when we come in, pushing the pace, and if we’re starting flat, we got to be able to pick it up.”
Head coach Steve Kerr was impressed by the way the team reacted after a slow start to the match
It seemed that New Zealand was out on the floor long before the Americans and it showed as Team USA had a slow start. The squad from Oceania led the match with a 10-point first-quarter lead while the United States had four turnovers and five misses in their first 11 possessions.
“New Zealand was great. They came out and were very physical right away and took it to us, and we need to feel that because that’s what these games are going be like,” coach Kerr said. “But I love the way we responded.”
Check out the highlights from this Saturday’s match, as Team USA recovered their lead in the second quarter:
“We just came out lackadaisical,” said star Anthony Edwards, who agreed with his trainer. “You got to come out with a little more energy and ready to go.”
Even at some point, an imposter who dressed in a replica of New Zealand’s black-and-white uniform, gained access to the floor and served as a distraction. Apparently, he was a well known social media influencer who wanted to pull a prank and slipped passed security.
“We can’t use that as an excuse. We just got to be prepared,” Haliburton said after the match. “We have to be ready, prepared going into the games and respect every opponent.”
