USA Moves To 4-0 at World Cup with 85-73 Win Over Montenegro

01 September 2023

USA 85, MNE 73

The United States beat Montenegro 85-73 on Friday afternoon in Manila, Philippines to move to 4-0 at the 2023 FIBA Men's World Cup.

The USA will face Lithuania on Sunday at 8:40 p.m. PHT / 8:40 a.m. ET.

The U.S. is seeking its sixth FIBA Men’s World Cup gold medal.

View the USA-Montenegro box score here.

TEAM NOTES

Starting Out: The United States employed the same starting lineup as they did in their win over Jordan: Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Worth Noting: Tonight’s 85-73 win marked the first-ever meeting between the two countries in men’s basketball.

Don’t Look Back: Edwards put the USA up 50-48 with 5:02 left in the third quarter, which gave the Americans the lead for good. The game had six lead changes. The USA trailed 38-39 at halftime.

Turnovers: The U.S. won the turnover battle, forcing Montenegro into 22 (to their 12). The Americans scored 17 points off turnovers.

Tale of Two Halves: The U.S. entered the locker room trailing for the first time of the tournament, but had an improved second half to secure the win. After shooting 13-for-37 (.351) in the first half, the U.S. responded with a 17-for-36 (.472) performance in the final two quarters. The U.S. also shot 1-for-9 (.11) from deep in the first half before going 4-for-10 (.400) in the second half.

Team Effort: The USA outscored Montenegro from the bench 39-26. Haliburton (10), Austin Reaves (12), and Paolo Banchero (8) combined for 30 of those points.

PLAYER NOTES

Ant Leads Again: After a slow start, Edwards scored a team-high 17 points—all in the second half. Edwards leads the U.S. in scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game. He was named the TCL Player of the Game for the second time this tournament (also Jordan).

Double-Digit Performers: Reaves (12), Jackson Jr. (11), Bridges (10) and Haliburton (10) all scored in double figures after strong second halves. Reaves scored nine of his 12 points at the free throw line going 9-for-11 from the stripe.

Brandon on the Boards: Brandon Ingram led the U.S. in rebounding with five boards. He also contributed a bucket and a trio of assists in the USA win. Ingram will turn 26 years old tomorrow.