Warriors Reps Remain Unbeaten Headed into Second Round of FIBA World Cup

Apr 23, 2024

The United States (3-0), led by Head Coach Steve Kerr and the Dominican Republic (3-0), featuring guard Lester Quinones, won their respective groups and advanced to the second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. In the second round, each team was placed into new groups and must finish top two in their new group to advance.

Read below for a recap of their final first-round games and a preview of the second round.

Aug. 29: Dominican Republic 75 - Angola 67The Dominican Republic completed their sweep of Group A, defeating Angola 75-67. This time, they didn't need a huge night from star center Karl-Anthony Towns – who had recorded double-doubles in their previous two contests – as they were led by guard Andres Feliz, who scored 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting. After two consecutive starts, Lester Quinones came off the bench for the Dominican Republic, scoring his highest point total in this World Cup (7 points) and knocking down his first field goal (1-7 FG).

Both teams struggled to make shots, but Angola shot worse, shooting under 35 percent from the field (34.7 percent) and just 2-for-21 from behind the arc. With the victory, the Dominican Republic secured a spot in the next round.

Aug. 30: United States 110 - Jordan 62Team USA opened with a 15-2 burst and never looked back, beating Jordan by 48 points, 110-62. The United States led by 19 points after the first quarter, with star guard Anthony Edwards outscoring Jordan by himself 13-12 in the opening frame. Edwards led all scorers with 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting. All 12 players on the Team USA roster scored for the second consecutive game.

“It’s always fun when everybody gets to play and contribute,” Kerr said.

Team USA was a decisive plus-22 on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 56-34. Guard Josh Hart was the main catalyst, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds and making the most of his debut in the starting lineup, replacing forward Brandon Ingram.

“We just felt like it was important to take a look at Josh with the starting group and Brandon with the next group and see if the combinations fit,” Kerr said.

Despite his success with the starters, Head Coach Steve Kerr didn't commit to Hart remaining in the starting lineup, saying his staff "hasn't made any decisions moving forward."

With the win, the United States finished first in Group C and will advance to the second round.

FIRST ROUND NOTABLES:The eight teams that finished the first round with an undefeated record were the United States, Dominican Republic, Canada, Slovenia, Serbia, Lithuania, Germany and Spain.Luka Doncic (Slovenia) was the leading scorer in Round 1 with 90 total points and averaging 30.0 points per game.Team Canada was the highest-scoring team in Round 1, averaging 108.0 points per game, two ahead of the United States (106.0 PPG).Team Serbia were the most efficient scorers in the first round, shooting 57.2 percent from the field (first) and 44.7 percent from three (first).

TEAMS THAT ADVANCED TO ROUND TWOGROUP A: Dominican Republic, ItalyGROUP B: Serbia, Puerto RicoGROUP C: United States, GreeceGROUP D: Montenegro, LithuaniaGROUP E: Germany, Australia GROUP F: Slovenia, GeorgiaGROUP G: Spain, BrazilGROUP H: Canada, Latvia

For the second round, the top two finishers from Groups A-H are placed in new groups: I, J, K and L.

Group I: Serbia, Dominican Republic, Italy and Puerto Rico Group J: USA, Lithuania, Greece and MontenegroGroup K: Slovenia, Germany, Australia and GeorgiaGroup L: Canada, Spain, Brazil and Latvia

After each team plays two additional games, the top two finishers from these new groups will advance to the next round, with the records from the first round carrying over.

Up NextThe Dominican Republic (3-0) and United States (3-0) each will play two games against the teams in their new groups that they have yet to face. The Dominican Republic will face Puerto Rico on Sep. 1 at 5 a.m. (ESPN+) and Serbia on Sep. 3 at 5 a.m (ESPN+). Team USA will play against Montenegro on Sep. 1 at 1:40 a.m. (ESPN+) and Lithuania on Sep. 3 at 5:40 a.m (ESPN+).