WorldCup2019

Angie Treasure

Donovan Mitchell had a step on his defender and as he got the basket, the guard, with his 6-10 wingspan and otherworldly athleticism, opted for a reverse layup, using the iron to give himself just a little more space. It’s a bucket the Utah Jazz guard has made countless times before. This time, though, Rudy Gobert was wearing a different jersey.

In a moment that surely left Jazz fans torn, Gobert denied Mitchell’s attempt at the rim, securing a historic 89-79 win for France and knocking Team USA out of medal contention in the FIBA World Cup.

Mitchell and Gobert, the two Jazzmen, shined in Wednesday’s quarterfinal matchup in Dongguan, China. Mitchell had a game-high 29 points to go with six rebounds and four assists.

"I’m looking at the times there were guys open that I missed. There were possessions on defense where I threw the ball in the backcourt when we were down six. I can care less about the 29 [points]," Mitchell said afterward. "To me what sticks out is the things I did wrong. That’s what’s on everybody’s mind. Anybody could have had a good game. Whether is 29, 9, or 0, we lost."

Gobert, meanwhile, finished with 21 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks.

Gobert will also have some bragging rights when the two players arrive in Salt Lake City later this month for the start of training camp.

Team USA entered the tournament with plenty of questions about its roster, but still had its sights set on a third straight World Cup title. When Mitchell caught fire in the third quarter of the game, scoring 14 in the frame to erase a 10-point deficit, the Americans looked poised to answer those questions and advance.

The Stifle Tower was a problem on offense, creating mismatches and driving lanes for his teammates and putting pressure on the rim against an undersized U.S. lineup. On defense, Gobert reminded everyone why he is the NBA’s back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year.

"He had a good game. He played physical. He was aggressive and played well for them tonight," U.S. forward Jaylen Brown said of Gobert.

The United States managed to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games during their World Cup run, but will now have to settle for playing Serbia in the tournament’s fifth-place game. The French team will face Argentina in the semifinals.

"I know how I feel. I know how those guys feel, and that’s where my head is at," Mitchell said after the loss. "I know that people are going to focus on who we didn’t have, but how about we focus on who we do have. Our season ended, and we came out ready to work with Coach Pop and all his coaches. It’s not about who’s not here. I’ve been saying that for a while. You guys are going to do your thing, but we have 12 guys who are going to compete for America. Just like every country. It sucks that some of our country people don’t feel that way about us, but we don’t care. We’re going to compete, and we did."

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Rudy Gobert and France knock Donovan Mitchell, Team USA out of World Cup medal contention

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Australia coach Andrej Lemanis’ review was simple and understated. “A pretty impressive performance,” he called it. Joe Ingles’ game, however, was anything but understated.

The veteran forward was masterful in Australia’s 81-68 win over Senegal, as the Boomers improved to 2-0 in the first round of the FIBA World Cup. Ingles finished one assist shy of a triple-double (17 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and two blocks) to make sure his team clinched a spot in the second round.

Elsewhere in China, Gobert’s French team also moved to 2-0 thanks to another big performance from the Stifle Tower. Gobert had 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in a 103-64 blowout victory over Jordan.

When Donovan Mitchell was considering whether to accept an invitation from Team USA, he consulted with two teammates who knew a thing or two about the FIBA World Cup. Ingles and Gobert told him it would be worth it, but it wouldn’t be easy.

“I heard so much about the play in general and how tough the competition is,” Mitchell said before the start of the tournament. “Everybody wants to beat us.”

Mitchell and Team USA learned that lesson firsthand on Tuesday, as the United States survived with a 93-92 overtime win against Turkey in Shanghai.

"I got a text from my former teammate Ricky Rubio, and he said, ‘Welcome to FIBA’," Mitchell said after the game. "It’s really physical, but I think we enjoyed it. It’s what we signed up for. We wouldn’t want it any other way."

Mitchell had nine points, four rebounds and four assists in the overtime win.

"It just shows like I’ve been saying, the will of this team," Mitchell said of the win. "I don’t think you can get a win like this without being as connected and close as we are. We’ve done a great job of that. We’ve only been with each other for about a month or so, and I’m so proud of everybody on the team. I know it’s one game. I know we got a lot more to go. This really builds character, and it shows what type of group that we have. Guys were really locked in."

Mitchell, Gobert and Ingles will all be back in action on Thursday. Team USA plays Japan (6:30 a.m. MT), Australia plays Lithuania (5:30 a.m. MT) and France finishes group play against the Dominican Republic (6:30 a.m. MT). All of the games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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FIBA World Cup: Ingles' near triple-double leads Australia to victory; Mitchell and Team USA survive overtime scare

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FIBA World Cup: Ingles, Mitchell, Gobert all Day 1 winners

The NBA season doesn’t tipoff until October, but you won’t have to wait that long to watch some of your favorite Jazzmen in action.

Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, and Rudy Gobert start their quests for the FIBA World Cup on Sunday morning.

The tournament will take place in eight different cities in China, with group play starting this weekend and the finals taking place on Sunday, Sept. 15. Mitchell and Team USA come into the tournament ranked second in the FIBA power rankings, just ahead of Ingles’ Boomers (3rd) and Gobert’s French squad (5th).

“I think it’s really dope to have us all there,” Mitchell said. “I’d be excited to play against both of them. I’ve heard so much from them about how tough this competition is. Now to have that X on my back is pretty cool.”

The World Cup serves as qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The top two teams from each of the Americas and Europe qualify. So do the top teams from each of Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

All of the World Cup games will be streamed on ESPN+.

Sunday, Sept. 1 vs. Czech Republic, 6:30 a.m. MT

Tuesday, Sept. 3 vs. Turkey, 6:30 a.m. MT

Thursday, Sept. 5 vs. Japan, 6:30 a.m. MT

Tuesday, Sept. 3 vs. Senegal, 1:30 a.m. MT

Thursday, Sept. 5 vs. Lithuania, 5:30 a.m. MT 

 Sunday, Sept. 1 vs. Germany, 6:30 a.m. MT

Tuesday, Sept. 3 vs. Jordan, 6:30 a.m. MT

Thursday, Sept. 5 vs. Dominican Republic, 6:30 a.m. MT

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Watch guide: When and how to see Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles in the FIBA World Cup

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Team USA defeats Canada in exhibition play

Facing each other for the second time in the span of a week, the Australian National Team made history by winning their first-ever game against Team USA on Saturday, 98-94.

Despite his previous shooting woes during exhibition play, Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles was responsible for 15 points in the historic win, shooting 6-12 from the field. Ingles' sole made 3-pointer of the game was a go-ahead bucket with 3:32 to play, putting the Boomers ahead for good.

It was the first time since 2006 Team USA has lost an exhibition game on the world stage.

“We really showed the direction we want to play and how we want to play," Ingles said postgame in front of a crowd of more than 50,000 fans at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. “You keep building … we’ll enjoy it tonight but obviously, back to work tomorrow.”

Joe led both clubs with seven assists during his 32 minutes of play.

The Boomers handed Team USA only their second exhibition loss in club history, thanks to 30 points from San Antonio Spurs guard, Patty Mills. The Aussies scored on five straight trips down the floor down the stretch to clinch the 4-point win after losing 102-86 in the previous matchup.

“It’s not really about them, obviously … we enjoyed the challenge," Joe said of facing the national powerhouse. "For us, the whole time it’s been about building to get better and better.”

Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell scored 12 points on 4-10 shooting and fouled out after 21:53 of play. The Americans were led in scoring by Boston point guard Kemba Walker who came off the bench to score 22.

“They wanted it more than us tonight and lesson learned for us," Walker said in a postgame interview.

“Some of it is expected with a new group that’s trying to learn about each other and learn about a system," USA coach Gregg Popovich said of the loss. "It’s not surprising, but the Aussies gave us a great lesson about where you want to be and how you want to play in this kind of competition.”

Team USA will look to bounce back when they play the Canadian National Team Monday in Australia.

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Joe Ingles & the Boomers stun Team USA in historic win

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Joe Ingles & Donovan Mitchell face off in exhibition game

Donovan Mitchell and Team USA came out on top of their first test Down Under, notching a 102-86 victory over Australia in Thursday’s exhibition game in Melbourne.

Point guard Kemba Walker led the U.S. with 23 points. Center Myles Turner had 15 points and 14 rebounds. Mitchell added 13 on 6-of-15 shooting and was a plus-24 in 25 minutes of action.

U.S. coach Gregg Popovich has said he believes the Aussies have a legitimate chance to win this summer’s World Cup in China, and the Boomers showed their toughness on Thursday. Australia had a 45-44 lead early in the second half before Team USA took control.

“I think we’re feeling pretty good about the way we bounced back in the second half,” Mitchell said afterward. “It shows the character of this team. We’re playing in front of [51,000] people. There’s going to be some nerves … but once we settled down and started playing our basketball, we were in good shape.”

Jazz forward Joe Ingles had six points, five rebounds and an assist for the Boomers. There were bragging rights on the line for Ingles and Mitchell Thursday, and that meant some friendly trash talk between the Jazzmen.

"He tried a little bit," Mitchell said. "He tried hitting me and nudging me, but I got him once. I got him with a little slap. It’s all fun and it’s all part of it. This is a blessing to be here and be part of this. It’s been incredible."

But the chance to play in a basketball showcase in front of more than 51,000 fans in Melbourne was particularly special for Ingles.

“To be in front of friends and family and you on the sideline, it’s going to be a great night,” he said while being interviewed by his wife, Renae Ingles, on the broadcast leading up to tipoff. “To have everyone here, 50,000 people at home, playing against a really good team, it’s something we’ve dreamed of.”

Team USA and Australia will meet up again this week for another exhibition game in Melbourne (Friday, 10 p.m. MT on NBA TV).

“Being able to handle their pressure,” Mitchell said when asked how the U.S. can improve in the second contest. “They’re a great basketball team. They run their sets very well. They’ve been playing with each other since they were 16, 17 years old. For us, it’s matching that energy, matching that chemistry and being a more collective team.”

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Team USA gets a 102-86 win over Australia, as Mitchell and Ingles face off in front of 51,000 fans in Melbourne

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