FIBA World Championship: Team USA Advances To Quarterfinals With Impressive 121-66 Win Over Angola

In perhaps their most impressive performance to date at the FIBA World Championships, Team USA routed Angola 121-66 today in the Round of 16.

Team USA jumped on Angola early, displaying great pressure defense and impressive offensive concentration in racing to a 33-13 first-quarter lead. Team USA let up defensively for a stretch in the second and third quarter, but they remained hot offensively and put up their highest point total of the tournament.

Four players scored in double figures for Team USA, led by Chauncey Billups, who had 19. Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Eric Gordon added 17 each. Joaquim Gomes had 21 points to lead Angola.

At the end of the day, we learned little about Team USA in this one. They clearly outclassed Angola in a way they won’t outclass other teams, and were also helped by the fact that Angola runs an offensive style very similar to many pro teams. Angola’s strategy during the tournament was to beat teams with their athleticism rather than their execution, making Team USA a particularly bad matchup. It remains to be seen how Team USA will respond against better teams that have a more diverse offensive style.

Team USA will face the winner of Russia and New Zealand in the quarterfinals.