USA 104-110 Lithuania: score, stats and updates, FIBA Basketball World Cup
USA - Lithuania: FIBA Basketball World Cup: as it happened
What a game and every credit to Lithuania who really did the heavy load work in the first half as they posted a 19 point lead at the half time interval.
Steve Kerr's men rallied in the third quarter and found inspiration in Anthony Edwards with the Minnesota Timberwolves player instrumental in leading the comeback. The guard ended the game posting 35 points for his team.
Despite their best efforts, Lithuania had the skill and ability to keep the US at distance and captain Jonas Valančiūnas was immense for the Baltic nation.
The USA will now face Italy in the quarterfinals and will need to learn from their past two outings and Lithuania are rewarded with a match-up against Serbia in the next stage.
Lithuania win!!!!!
Drama as the US steal the ball but from the shot, the European side rob and find the basket that secures the win.
6 second left but with a 6 point gap, the game is all but over.
Two free throws for the US with 16.2 seconds left on the clock.
5 points the difference.
28 seconds remain in this dramatic contest.
Lithuania call a time out.
Bridges with a 3...
it's under review but it stands.
Kerr uses his last timeout of the game.
Edwards again.
35 points for the Timberwolves man
Jackosn fouled out of the game.
1:35 left.
Surely, not even the US can get this one back?
Another three for Lithuania.
Another time out for the USA.
Despite Q3 heroics, it appears that Lithuania did enough in the first half to create a cushion.
Less than 3 mins. remain of this absorbing match.
What does a Team USA defeat mean?
It's not a drama, but it does mean that Steve Kerr's team will face the top placed team in Group I (Italy)
Lithuania will take on Serbia who finished second.
Mindaugas Kuzminskas bags a three despite immense pressure from Edwards and the buzzer!
That could be the score that tilts the game the way of the side in green.
Four points the difference now.
Five minutes left.
7 point lead for the European side.
Haliburton with a triple and a hefty dose of good fortune.
Vaidas Kariniauskas the leading scorer for Lithuania on 14 points.
25 from Edwards today !
Seven minutes left and do Lithuania have enough in the tank to keep this advantage?
Lithuania restore their ten point lead.
Great work from Reaves as he is fouled as he sinks a basket and drops the free throw.
Huge test of mental strength for both teams.
Can USA maintain this high energy tempo?
Can Lithuania keep a cool head?
Off we go... final quarter of the contest.
End of Q3
Great response from Team USA as they are very much in this contest.
Ingram looking good now with attack after attack.
Eimantas Bendžius with a three for Lithuania as Bridges responds with a triple for the US.
3 minutes left in the half.
Bridges with 2 free throws ... and sinks both.
Anthony Edwards now on 20 points.
US call time out.
Two quick back to back baskets and now it's Lithuania's turn to gather some lost momentum.
Five minutes left and what a comeback this has been in this third quarter.
Lithuania call time out as the American side have really bounced back in Q3.
Now just an eight point lead for Lithuania.
Jonas Valančiūnas is incensed with a referring decision and its imperative that Lithuania maintain a cool head.
Jackson Jr with another triple.
8-0 for the US in this third quarter.
So, what can we expect in the second half?
Can Lithuania maintain their dominance or will USA dig deep and call upon the quality available with a team full of NBA stars.
Off we go... Q3 is underway
Just a few minutes remain in the interval.
What can Steve Kerr offer to his men as they face a major challenge at the Mall of Asia Arena.
HT: 37-54, Lithuania in control
What a display from Lithuania at the break as they have outplayed and outscored a US team that did show signs of weakness despite the recent win over Montenegro.
Jonas Valančiūnas (11 points) has been a colossus for the men in green as Vaidas Kariniauskas chipped in with 9.
Lithuania lead by 17 points at the interval.
Half time
Two free throws for the US.
Edwards misses both !
A minute of the half remaining.
USA lead by 19 points.
Another US miss and Lithuania are seeing everything go their way as they lead by 21 points.
Jonas Valančiūnas has been immense for Lithuania today.
Remember, defeat for either team is not a disaster with both teams having already progressed to the next stage.
Obviously, finishing top of the group would lead to facing the second placed team in Group I.
Four and a half minutes remain and what can the US by way of reply?
Time out called by Team USA
15 point lead for Lithuania.
Edwards with another tripe !
16 points now for the guard.
Nine from nine x 3 pointers for Lithuania!
Edwards with 3... the Timberwolves man now on 13 points.
Lithuania now with eight from eight in terms of triples.
Despite a better showing from the US, they still trail by 18.
7/7 with another triple
US respond as Lithuania call timeout
Cam Johnson sinks a triple.
make that plus two for Lithuania.
Q2 starts.
19 points lead by Lithuania
Lithuania sink their sixth consecutive triple... incredibla accuracy from the men in green.
Final minute of the half and the US trali by 14 points.
Reaves with two free throws...the Lakers man sinks both.
Steve Kerr calls a time out
Dimsa with yet another triple... 100% perfection with 5/5.
Two minutes of Q1 remain. The US still looking somewhat shell shocked as have a 100% record with their triples sinking 4/4.
Ten point lead for Lithuania.
Four minutes of the quarter left and the US are really struggling here.
Lithuania lead by 7 points... the most points that Steve Kerr's team have trailed by at the Fiba World Cup...
make that 9 !!
Another triple for Lithuania!
More missed shots from the US and it's the men in green who look confident as Jonas Valančiūnas drops another 3!
Lithuania lead as Tadas Sedekerskis drops a triple.
A series of missed shots from both teams as Lithuania finally draw level with a frantic and fast pace to the game.
Jonas Valančiūnas pulls the Baltic nation level just before Edwards increases the USA lead.
Edwards with a jump shot to open the scoring.
Off we go, USA win the tip off and attack.
Jonas Valančiūnas the NBA representative for Lithuania with the pivot currently with New Orleans.
This should be a decent game and will be the biggest test that Steve Kerr's men have faced in their time in the Philippines.
Kerr looking to win the World Cup as a coach after winning the gold medal as a player.
The teams are on the court as the national anthems play.
USA in all white and Lithuania in green.
Ten minutes to tip off at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
Latvia win agian !
Canada have been the only team to beat Latvia as the Baltic nation secure a quarterfinal berth with a win over Brazil.
FT Latvia 104-84 Brazil
Basketball is second religion
Speaking to the Olympic Channel, Jonas Valanciunas analysed the clash against the US:
He said, "We have a big history, a big passion for basketball. Basketball is a second religion in our country. It's a team sport. We play team sports as a team. We support each other. No egos, everybody's humble, everybody wants to win, wants to grow.
Team USA still remain favourites to win the 2023 World Cup and it's Latvia who have emerged as dark horses in the competition.
Spain need to beat Canada or will be eliminated and Serbia still possess a major threat for Steve Kerr's ambition to be crowned world champions.
At the 2023 World Cup, Lithuania has won every game by 20+ points and has not conceded more than 71 points this tournament.
Rokas Jokubaitis has scored 15+ points and had 6+ assists in each of this last three games.
USA need to bounce back after poor Montenegro showing
Despite running out eventual winners over Montenegro, the US huffed and puffed to get the win over the Balkan side.
Team USA were particularly wasteful in offense with the likes of the usually accurate Edwards and Brunson missing clear chance after chance.
Lithuania are another of the unbeaten teams so far at the 2023 FIBA World Cup with the "Green Death" topping their first round group with wins over Montenegro, Egypt and Mexico.
The then swept Greece aside in their first second round match.
USA-Lithuania: match officials
Spain's Antonio Conde is the main official for the game at the Mall of Asia Arena, he will be supported by Takaki Kato (Japan) and Slovenia's Boris Krejic.
Game Day as Lithuania look to shock
Rokas Jokubaitis is very much the danger man for the Lithuanian side today with the FC Barcelona point guard top scorer for the European side with 55 points.
Anthony Edwards / JAM STA ROSA / AFP
Edwards, Team USA's sharp-shooter
Timberwolves star Edwards is the points king for the USA having bagged 66 in all four games so far at this 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Austin Reaves on 47 is second in the scoring ranking.
The U.S. has faced Lithuania twice at the World Cup and have lost once and won the last two meetings (2014, 2010) against the European side.
US face sternest test yet
Despite both Team USA and Lithuania securing places in the quarterfinals, the winners will top the group and at least, on paper face a less challenging rival in the next round.
As things stand, Italy look like being second in Group I with Serbia and Dominican Rep.still to play.
Form guide: Lithuania
August, 2023: Lithuania 92-67 Greece
August, 2023: Montenegro 71-91 Lithuania
August, 2023: Lithuania 96-66 Mexico
August, 2023: Egypt 67-93 Lithuania
August, 2023: Latvia 69-93 Lithuania
Form guide for USA
August, 2023: USA 85-73 Montenegro
August, 2023: USA 110-62 Jordan
August, 2023: Greece 81-109 USA
August, 2023: USA 99-72 New Zealand
August, 2023: USA 99-91 Germany
Today's game in Manila is scheduled to get underway at 8:40am ET/5:40am PT with the game taking place at the Mall of Asia Arena
Hello and welcome to our live coverage from the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup as Team USA face Lithuania.