Team USA advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup with a tough win over Montenegro on Friday. But while their qualification to the knockout stage is secured, they still have some work to do in the second round, which they'll conclude on Sunday against Lithuania in an important game for seeding purposes.
For the quarterfinals, Groups I and J are matched up, with the first-place team from Group I playing the second-place from Group J, and vice versa. A win guarantees that Team USA finishes atop Group J, which means they would likely avoid having to play Serbia, who despite playing without Nikola Jokic remain the favorites to win Group I.
Ahead of Sunday's matchup with Lithuania, here's everything you need to know:
Team USA vs. Lithuania
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 3 | Time: 8:40 a.m. ET
- Location: Mall of Asia Arena -- Manila, Philippines
- TV channel: ESPN 2 | Live stream: fubo (try for free)
- Odds: Team USA -16 | O/U: 177.5
Roster
| Player | NBA Team | Position |
|---|---|---|
Forward | ||
Forward | ||
Guard | ||
Guard | ||
Guard | ||
New York Knicks | Guard | |
Forward | ||
Center | ||
Brooklyn Nets | Forward | |
Center | ||
Forward | ||
Guard |
Storylines
Much of what we saw during the exhibition games and group stage games remained the same in Team USA's win over Montenegro: Anthony Edwards is the team's leader and best player, Austin Reaves is vitally important, Tyrese Haliburton is the best playmaker and they can live at the free throw line. Perhaps the most notable aspect of the hard-fought win over Montenegro, though, was the work Nikola Vucevic and Co. were able to do on the offensive glass. They grabbed 23 offensive rebounds, which they turned into 22 second-chance points. Lithuania, led by Jonas Valanciunas, has been the best rebounding team in the tournament, and it will be interesting to how this American frontcourt, which isn't the deepest or physically strongest, is able to hold up.
Prediction
As Friday's win over Montenegro showed, Team USA isn't going to completely dominate its opponents at this stage of the tournament. Still, the Americans have too much talent for Lithuania and should be able to secure a comfortable victory. Pick: USA -16
