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US Bounces Back With A Blowout Win Over Italy, 100-63

An impressive performance following the loss to Lithuania

By JD King
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Italy v USA: Quarter Final - FIBA Basketball World Cup
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - SEPTEMBER 05: Stefano Tonut #7 of Italy drives to the basket against Paolo Banchero #8 of the United States in the third quarter during the FIBA Basketball World Cup quarterfinal game at Mall of Asia Arena on September 05, 2023 in Manila, Philippines.
Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

Team USA bounced back from the loss to Lithuania with an outstanding win over Italy, 100-63.

In general, the game was an applied lesson: Lithuania showed the US what it needed to work on, and, other than Jaren Jackson’s continued foul woes, the lesson paid off. Pretty much everything worked.

Rebounding has been a major problem so far, but in this one, the US killed Italy on the boards, 43-24.

Team USA also hit 17-36 on threes. Mikal Bridges shot 8-11 for 24 to pace the US.

As you’ll remember, Paolo Banchero very much wanted to play for Team USA but never got an invitation until this summer. So he had thought about playing for Italy, only to take the American offer, which infuriated the Italians.

An Italian reporter asked him before the game if he had anything to say to Italians. Banchero paused and then said “no.”

He said his bit on the court, coming off the bench for eight points, four boards and three assists in 25 minutes. He also shot 4-8, including this fun dunk. That was fun and all, but this clip shows much more of what he meant to Team USA in this game. It’s fairly stunning.

Fellow former Blue Devil Brandon Ingram has struggled during the World Cup. He did okay in this game, with eight points, four rebounds and two assists, but overall? He’s had a tough time. Duke great JJ Redick offers some useful context for how this team was structured and why Ingram has had a tough adjustment.

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