Thanasis Antetokounmpo (R) of Greece defends Harrison Barnes of the United States during the group K match between the United States and Greece at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
USA beat Greece 69-53 in Group K in the second round of the FIBA World Cup. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Greece with 15 points, but still couldn't change the result.
SHENZHEN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Giannis Antetokounmpo's 15 points and 13 rebounds were wasted as team USA beat Greece 69-53 in Group K in the second round of the FIBA World Cup here on Saturday.
Antetokounmpo led Greece with 15 points, followed by 13 from Kostas Sloukas. They are the only two players who scored in the double digits for Greece.
Kemba Walker had 15 points and six assists for the Americans, while Donovan Mitchell added 10. Derrice White and Marcus Smart contributed nine points apiece.
"We played a very experienced team. They are really well-coached, one that is both physical and executes very well. It was a good test for us, and it helped us get better," said USA head coach Gregg Popovich.
"It was a tough game. We congratulate the US team. They have too much intensity for 40 minutes. We tried to stop them with zone and matchup defense, but they are just too much. We missed a lot even with free-throws, too, so it's very difficult to beat a team like the US when we play like this," said Greece head coach Thanasis Skourtopoulos.
Harrison Barnes (2nd R) of the United States breaks through during the group K match between the United States and Greece at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Kostas Sloukas's 3 pointer helped Greece make it 20-all in the second quarter after falling behind 17-19 in the first.
Gregg Popovich, head coach of the United States reacts during the group K match between the United States and Greece at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
With two strong runs (7-0 and 9-2), Team USA took a 13-point lead to go up 38-25 at the break. The Americans built on that momentum by expanding their lead to 15 in the third quarter.
Donovan Mitchell made a three-pointer with three minutes left in the fourth period to put the game beyond the reach of Greece at 66-53.
