By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Thirteen players got on the court, four went over ten points for Team USA to beat Spain, 90-81. The home side at Anaheim ended up with 11/19 beyond the arc, 54.8% in field goals in the first of four friendly games ahead of the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Donovan Mitchell posted a team-high 13 points. Khris Middleton followed with 12 points to his name. Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum added 11 points each. Jaylen Brown with 9 points, Brook Lopez and Myles Turner with 8, Kyle Kuzma with 7, Derrick White with 4, Joe Harris with 3, De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes with 2 also played, Mason Plumlee did not score, injured Marcus Smart did not play.
On Spain, all 14 available players saw action at the Honda Center, Marc Gasol poured a game-high 19 points with 7/13 from the field. Ricky Rubio notched 16 points and Sergio Llull 11. Rudy Fernandez and Pierre Oriola got 8, Willy Hernangomez 6, Pau Ribas 5, Juancho Hernangomez and Quino Colim 4 and Ilimane Diop 2, Victor Claver, Xavi Rabaseda, Javier Beiran and Jaime Fernandez did not sink a point.
Following the prep game, Gregg Popovich confirmed all 14 remaining players will travel to Australia for the rest of the friendly matches. Team USA will eventually compete in Group E of the World Cup facing the Czech Republic, Turkey and Japan at Shanghai. Spain will be part of Group C alongside Tunisia, Puerto Rico and Iran.
Photo Credit: FIBA