FIBA World Championships 2010: Team USA Routs Iran 88-51, Clinches Top Spot In Group B

At the end of the day, Team USA got the rout they needed against Iran in their fourth game of the FIBA World Championships. They slowly built their lead and eventually won 88-51, moving to 4-0 on the tournament. They will officially advance to the elimination stage as the top seed out of Group B.

Kevin Love lead the way with 13 points off the bench, making his case for more playing time. Kevin Durant scored 12 points in essentially three quarters of work, while Derrick Rose had 11 points. Hamed Haddadi led Iran (1-3) with 19 points, but shot just 7-22 from the field and looked disinterested for much of the fourth quarter.

We can rest a little easier now knowing that Team USA is again blowing out an inferior opponent at the FIBA World Championships. Led by an early burst from Derrick Rose, Team USA is now all over Iran, leading 62-39 after three quarters.

Team USA’s defensive rotations still appear to be a bit slow, but they are getting out in transition and overwhelming the less talented Iranians. They have now forced Iran to commit 34 turnovers, a staggering number that probably can’t be duplicated.

Team USA looked a little better in the second quarter against Iran than they did in the first quarter, and it was mostly thanks to Kevin Love. The Minnesota Timberwolves forward came in early in the quarter and provided a lift offensively and defensively, scoring nine points and locking down on Iranian big man Hamed Haddadi. His play spurred Team USA to a 42-28 lead at the half.

Team USA continues to look a bit sloppy, especially offensively, where they seemed to struggle a bit against Iran’s zone defense. But their pressure defense has been outstanding, as Iran already has a whopping 21 turnovers. Team USA probably can’t rely on forcing that many miscues against better competition, but it’s nice to see the pressure defense is making an impact.

If you were expecting Team USA to come out firing against Iran after a difficult game against Brazil the other day, then you’ll be disappointed by the first quarter. There were several highlight plays, but in general, Team USA looked sloppy against a team they should dominate, leading just 19-13 at the end of the first quarter.

Team USA had six turnovers in the quarter, which contributed to the sloppiness.

Team USA’s last game in the 2010 FIBA World Championships was a scare, as they barely held on against a good Brazil team. Today, they take on a much less heralded opponent in Iran, and if they win, they will clinch a berth in the knockout stage.