Team USA was brought tumbling back to reality, losing to Lithuania, 110-104, at the FIBA World Cup 2023 on Sunday, September 3, in the final game of group play.
While most point out the lack of size that USA coach Steve Kerr had at his disposal, Lithuania's near-perfect performance allowed them to pull off the win.
They started flawlessly from beyond the arc, converting on its first nine attempts. No less than Austin Reaves, Team USA's second-highest scorer, admitted that the hot start would be hard to overcome.
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"They started off 9 of 9 from three. When the team shoots like that, it's going to be hard to sustain and reduce the lead like that. Tip your hat, they played a really good game," the 25-year-old NBA player stated in a report by Basketnews.com.
The Lithuanians erected a 21-point lead in the second quarter and were able to hold off the Americans from there.
Despite the loss, Anthony Edwards, who finished with 35 points, shrugged off the loss when he bluntly responded to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
"Luckily we get to play again," they said.
The United States tried valiantly to claw back into the game but failed. With the loss, social media erupted, with several people reacting to the shocking loss of the Americans to the Lithuanians.
Social media erupts on Team USA
Some even went back to the Noah Lyles controversy, the one on being a world champion.
One user even bragged that Lithuania won for the third time in history. He pointed out several things, such as basketball fundamentals and simple team play.
Regardless, both teams are moving on to the FIBA quarterfinals. Team USA will face Italy next, while Lithuania will face Serbia on Wednesday, September 5.
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