Heading into its final game in group play, Team USA had already clinched top spot in Group D. It would be understandable if the team came out a bit flat, but they didn’t, and went on to a 103-58 victory over Senegal. Chris Bosh finally got some minutes and made the most of them, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds. LeBron James, who struggled in the game against Italy, added 17 points in the win.
The top 16 teams move onto the next round, where the U.S. team will face Australia on Sunday.
“It’s ‘one and done’ and this is not a seven-game NBA series,” Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We have to be ready for each ball game. The best way to get ready is to play defense at the start of each ball game. We’ve done a good job defensively. Hopefully, we’ll pick that up even more, now that we’re going on to Tokyo.”
In the NBA playoffs, teams get four losses before they are eliminated from the playoffs. The team needs to understand that there are no second chances in international play. They need to make the most of every possession and the best way to do that is to be sure to take care of the little things, like boxing out, playing help defense and practicing good shot selection.
The television schedule is still unsettled. View the entire schedule here.
