The United States men’s basketball team got off to a shaky start in their World Cup opener against New Zealand, but eventually pulled away to win 99-72. After a slow start, the Americans were able to turn things around in the second half and put together a dominant performance.
The US got off to a slow start, trailing by as many as seven points in the first quarter. They were able to cut the deficit to three points at the end of the quarter, but still trailed by four at halftime.
In the second half, the US turned up the intensity and began to pull away. They outscored New Zealand by 16 points in the third quarter and then continued to dominate in the fourth quarter, outscoring them by 21 points.
The US was led by Jayson Tatum, who scored a game-high 22 points. He was joined in double figures by Kemba Walker (18 points), Donovan Mitchell (16 points) and Marcus Smart (15 points). The US also got solid contributions from Derrick White (9 points) and Myles Turner (8 points).
The US was able to overcome their early struggles thanks to their depth and their ability to make adjustments. They were able to get back into the game by playing better defense and by attacking the rim more aggressively.
The win is a great start for the US team, as they look to make a deep run in this year’s World Cup. They will face Turkey in their next game, which should provide another good test for the Americans.
