After falling to Lithuania in their final game of the group stage, Team USA rebounded nicely in the quarterfinals, easily dispatching Italy, 100-63. Mikal Bridges led the way for the Americans, scoring 24 points in just 18 minutes on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Tyrese Haliburton dropped in 18 points off the bench, nailing six of his eight three-point attempts.
Today’s opponent, Germany, remains undefeated in this year’s FIBA World Cup. They went 5-0 in the group stage, defeating Japan, a tough Australia squad featuring a handful of NBA players, Finland, Georgia, and Luka Doncic’s Slovenia. In the quarterfinals, Germany edged out Latvia, 81-79, as Davis Bertans’ potential game-winner in the final seconds was off the mark.