TEAM USA tries to put on its game face from the get-go as it seeks to book its ticket to the second round of the 2023 Fiba World Cup in its matchup against Greece on Monday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
USA vs Greece preview Fiba Basketball World Cup 2023
The Americans overcame anxious moments in their first Group C game against New Zealand, falling into an early 10-point hole before going to work behind Paolo Banchero and Austin Reaves and breaking away in the second to score a 99-72 win last Saturday.
Now, they look to put on a better start against the Greek in their face-off that tips off at 8:40 p.m.
“We just got to come out with a little more energy and ready to go,” Team USA starting shooting guard Anthony Edwards said.
“Just the start – myself, I got to come out a lot better,” he added after missing makeable shots early on before finishing with 14 points, seven boards, three assists, and one steal.
Edwards insisted, though, they were hardly worried despite trailing early on against the Tall Blacks.
“No nerves, no nerves,” the Minnesota Timberwolves star said. “We do this. We put the work in, so we weren’t really worried.”
Still, the Americans are wary of Greek team that opened its campaign with a 92-71 rout of Jordan also last Saturday.
Greece coach Dimitrios Itoudis knows they remain the underdogs.
“They have a great roster…but they really play team basketball,” Itoudis said. “They are in between the teams that will go long in the tournament.”
“Therefore, we need to be smart and competitive to manage the loading and rotation for the players.”
New Zealand and Jordan try to bounce back from opening losses as they face each other in the first game at the Pasay venue at 4:45 o’clock.
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