Italy – USA
International - FIBA World Cup, Knockout stage, Quarterfinal
The Basketball Expert
Italy has miraculously secured their spot in the World Cup quarterfinals. They needed two wins in the second phase, and they delivered. First, they overcame a 16-point deficit against Serbia in the third quarter, and then easily dispatched Puerto Rico by 73:57. This effort earned them the top spot in their group, but luck wasn't on their side as the United States lost to Lithuania. Italy's greatest strength lies in their exceptional teamwork and chemistry. Core players like Simone Fontecchio, Nicolo Melli, Achille Polonara, Luigi Datome, Marco Spissu and Stefano Tonut have been playing together for several years, and it sometimes seems like they can play blindfolded with each other. While many other national teams frequently shuffle their rosters from tournament to tournament, this marks the third time in three years that the "Azzurri" have nearly an identical roster.
They heavily rely on three-point shooting but are also capable of playing fantastic defense. Limiting offensive teams like Puerto Rico and Serbia to 57 and 76 points is for a respect. Captain Datome may be playing final game of his career and will surely draw inspiration from this moment.
The United States has not been convincing at this World Cup. Four years ago, they were eliminated by France in the quarterfinals, and it appears they haven't learned their lesson. Initial challenges against Montenegro and Lithuania exposed all the weaknesses of this team. They make numerous poor decisions on offense while not living up to their defensive potential. Anthony Edwards has emerged as the leader, taking the most shots and bearing the greatest responsibility, but many in this team have failed to live up to their reputations. Brandon Ingram has struggled, Tyrese Haliburton has shown inconsistency, and Jalen Brunson has yet to find his rhythm. Despite having head coach Steve Kerr and a coaching staff including Erik Spoelstra, Mark Few, and Ty Lue, their performance has been subpar, especially in terms of scouting. They were not well prepared for the showdown with Lithuania, and now their approach must be different.
The rebounding issues the United States faced against Montenegro and Lithuania are unlikely to happen this time. Italy lacks a dominant center like Valanciunas or Vucevic, which should make things easier. After the shocking loss to Lithuania, we can expect a strong reaction. There has been a lot of talk in recent days about whether the "NBA champions" are truly "world champions," and it would be a significant blow to this team if Italy were to eliminate them. It's known that in earlier stages of major tournaments, the USA often calculates and doesn't play at full strength. That will have to change now. Motivation will be high, and realistically, they have the opportunity to vent their frustration on the "Azzurri." A convincing victory seems like the most realistic outcome.
Pistol Pete
After the unexpected defeat by Lithuania, it seems that Italy is the ideal opponent for the USA basketball players, in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Everything that Italian basketball players do well on the court - the Americans do one NBA class better. This is an interesting example of similarly conceived teams, which primarily rely on the shooting inspiration of guards and forwards, early shots in the attack, and practically play without classic centers. In a game where the opponent accepts the fast pace of the Italian game, plays more powerfully in transition, shoots better in "one on one" situations - Italy simply has no chance.
The defeat of Italy against the Dominican Republic 87:82 in the match played on August 27 in the Group Phase testifies that. Even in a 73-57 victory over Puerto Rico on Sunday, the Italians struggled in the first half. The team depends too much on the inspiration of the main shooting option, Simone Fontecchio, the Utah Jazz forward, who practically single-handedly won over Serbia 78:76 with 30 points. That match brought the Italians first place in the group before the quarterfinals.
The Americans have ideal defensive options to stop the physically inferior Italian playmaker Marco Spissu – as well as experienced forwards Melli and Datome. The key for the American team, led by the famous NBA coach and legend Steve Kerr, is that they cannot have problems in the game from the match against Lithuania, when they played bad defense against the physically exceptional centers of the opponents. It's simple - the Italians don't have such options in the team to try to punish the favorite, like the Lithuanians did.
Counting on the extra quality of the NBA guards in the American team, Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson, and the great motivation of players like playmaker Austin Reaves and forwards Ingram and Jackson - it is easy to expect that the favorites will make a big difference in their favor already in the first half. It is also very important that the Americans showed at this championship that they want to play seriously until the end and until the last second of the game, even when they have already secured a convincing victory. Selector Kerr demands from players, in this way, to show respect for the jersey of the most famous basketball team in the world.
The Italians can go on a good shooting streak once or twice during the match. However, neither the members of the national team, nor the basketball public in Italy, expect much from this match. The reality is that the Italian team achieved success at the planet's championship just by reaching the quarterfinals, and that no one will even blame them for a potentially convincing defeat against the Americans.
The match will also have a festive character, since it is certainly the last in which the famous Italian power forward Luigi Datome will appear in his playing career.