MANILA, Philippines – Team USA aced the first of its five exhibition games in the lead-up to the FIBA World Cup after coasting past Puerto Rico, 117-74, in Las Vegas on Monday, August 7 (Tuesday, August 8, Manila time).

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards and Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Johnson finished with 15 points each to lead seven players in double-figure scoring as the Americans pulled away in the last two periods after a close first half.

Team USA entered the halftime break with a slim 50-43 lead before it unleashed a decisive 20-0 bridging the third and fourth periods to create more separation en route to the 43-point blowout.

The New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson churned out a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds for Team USA, while the Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton worked his magic as a facilitator, dishing out 12 assists on top of 7 points.

Another Nets player stood out as Mikal Bridges fired 14 points and reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies added 12 points.

Mentored by Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Team USA looks to reclaim its place atop the World Cup after a disappointing seventh-place finish four years ago in China.

This new batch of Team USA features an inexperienced but hungry group of players, with none having played in a major international competition like the Olympics or the World Cup.

Other players include Josh Hart (Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks), Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), and Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic).

Team USA will face Slovenia and Spain next in Malaga, Spain, before it flies to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to tangle with Greece and Germany.

Bunched in Group C with Jordan, Greece, and New Zealand, Team USA will play its group stage games in the World Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena. – Rappler.com