LAS VEGAS — The spot that USA Basketball hopes to have in next year's FIBA World Cup cannot be clinched nor lost on Friday (Saturday, Manila time), when the Americans play host to Uruguay to begin the second round of qualifying.
This much is certain: The road to China gets a whole lot smoother with a win.
Should the Americans beat Uruguay in Las Vegas on Friday night, they would be assured of having a two-game lead over the fourth-place team in Group E with five games left in qualifying. And that's all that matters — to be guaranteed of reaching the World Cup, the U.S. needs only to finish in the top three of the group standings.
For the meantime, the US will still field a lineup made up primarily of G League players and coached by Jeff Van Gundy. The Americans went 5-1 in the first round.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
