14
15:03
Nice action! First, Austin Reaves gets his hands on the ball on defense and then starts the turnover straight away. In the end, the fans screamed at the 25-year-old from the Los Angeles Lakers for a successful dunk.
13.
15:01
The match gradually gets a little wilder. Technical errors and missed throws on both sides are piling up.
12.
15:00
With the Americans, the points scored so far are spread over many different shoulders. Jaren Jackson and Jalen Brunson currently top the internal list with five points each.
11.
14:58
And off we go into the second quarter! Can both teams keep the good rhythm from the first ten minutes?
11.
14:58
Beginning of 2nd quarter
10
14:56
Quarter conclusion:
Fast-paced and lively first ten minutes come to an end! Greece often put the Americans in difficult situations with an intense style of play and played courageously. However, Steve Kerr’s team got rolling after a little warm-up and is now just in the lead.
9.
14:54
However, the US boys can counter quickly every time and thus remain just ahead – a promising opening quarter.
8th.
14:51
Above all, Georgios Papagiannis poses real problems for the Americans and always gets a chance. The 26-year-old now has eleven of his own points.
7.
14:50
The points are currently falling every second, with both teams moving almost in step.
6.
14:48
The Greeks have been playing very well on offense so far, are always patient and thus put themselves in free throwing positions.
5.
14:47
The match runs almost without interruption in the first few minutes, going back and forth at high speed.
4.
14:46
For the first time, Steve Kerr’s team increases the tempo – and promptly it rattles! Brandon Ingram welds the ball into the net from the right line of three and takes the lead.
3.
14:45
But the US boys still acted a bit passively in the early minutes, which is why the Europeans maintained their narrow lead.
2.
14:43
It doesn’t take long for the Americans to appear on the scoreboard either. In the zone, Jaren Jackson plays his size advantages and completes confidently.
1.
14:42
Let’s go Pasay City! Georgios Papagiannis gets the first jump ball for the Greeks and initiates the first attack, which Thomas Walkup successfully completes from half-distance.
14:29
The Americans also easily walked to an opening win and swept New Zealand off the plate with 98:72. But shooting guard Anthony Edwards was still not completely satisfied. “We started listlessly. You have to come out with more energy and ready to go,” noted the 22-year-old. But if Steve Kerr’s team gets together properly and comes with the necessary spirit, then they are basically hard to beat. It’s no coincidence that the USA are the top favorites for the title.
14:16
The fact that the Greeks are missing NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is certainly a big disadvantage. The World Cup came too early for the 28-year-old from the Milwaukee Bucks after knee surgery. This was already evident during the preparations, when the Hellenes suffered four defeats in a row against Serbia, Italy, the USA and Germany. The game was still hacking two days ago. “We didn’t open the tournament well against Jordan. But that was up to us. We know what we have to do,” said coach Dimitrios Itoudis after his team had won 92:71.
14:08
It’s almost an exception in this preliminary round: In this group phase there is one of the few encounters between two really strong national teams. In all likelihood, the USA and Greece will fight for the top two places, since both Jordan and New Zealand are far from being at a comparable level. Conversely, this also means that this match is extremely important, because the points scored today will very likely be taken into the main round.
14:00
Hello and welcome to the Basketball World Cup in Asia! In Group C, Greece are looking to make life as difficult as possible for title contenders USA. Tip-off at Pasay City’s Mall of Asia Arena is at 2:40 p.m.