After losing their first match of the summer against Lithuania this past Sunday, Team USA bounced back by smashing Italy 100-63 in the FIBA World Cup Quarter Finals. With brilliant performances from Mikal Bridges and Tyrese Haliburton, the U.S. squad has secured a spot in the competition’s Semifinals.
The Brooklyn star, who dropped 8-of-11 from the field, hit four of USA’s 17 three-pointers while collecting seven rebounds. Bridges even recieved a techincal for taunting the opponent’s bench after a beaufitul shot from beyond the arc in the third quarter.
“I was really, really locked in on rebounding and that’s kind of been my struggle throughout this whole process and what I struggle with just in general,” he said after realizing he’d been the game’s highest scorer.
Take a look at one of Mikal’s best moments from this Tuesday’s outstanding World Cup victory:
Mikal Bridges has been the star for Team USA today:
24 points
6 rebounds
8/11 FG
4/6 from threeTeam USA up big on Italy.
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) September 5, 2023
According to the Nets foward, Anthony Edwards inspired the team before the contest with a powerful conversation. The Wolves star, who is Team USA’s leading scorer this World Cup season, only scored three points against Italy.
“Ant could get 30 whatever he wants, like easily,” said Bridges, who recieved many of the 22-year-old’s assists this Tuesday. “We talked to him and tried to help him out just to find guys, and that’s what he did. And he’s probably the happiest dude in the locker room right now.
“So, you know, shout out to Ant for that and he knows how dominant he is. … I think we kind of fed off that, you know, once we saw Ant doing that and how happy he was, and everybody kind of had that joy as well.”
Team USA’s players confessed they played against Italy with a little more thirst for revenge than usual
Once the game was over, the United States roster celebrated emphatically, as they knew they were pushing away the ghosts from their last defeat against Lithuania, who were eliminated today by Serbia.
“(We played with) maybe a little more anger,” said Haliburton, who dropped 18 points and added five assists to his name. “Just like, obviously pissed off from losing and don’t want to have that feeling again.”
Check out the complete highlights from this brilliant U.S. Quarter-Finals performance:
“It’s been a five-week journey for this group, and there’s five more days,” said head coach Steve Kerr. “That’s how we look at it. So we’re the horse turning back to the barn, the horse starts picking up the pace when it senses it’s near the barn. And that’s what’s happening right now. Our guys are sensing this is the end of the journey and the energy picked up tonight, the pace, the force.”
The national team will now have to wait to see who wins between Germany and Latvia this Wednesday, as they rest to compete against the victors on Friday’s first semifinal match at 8:40 a.m. ET.
Team USA is only two wins away from conquering their sixth FIBA World Cup title.
