2019 FIBA World Cup

Wheat Hotchkiss

Myles Turner and thee USA Basketball Men's National Team closed out the 2019 World Cup on a winning note, beating Poland in the seventh-place game on Saturday in Beijing, 87-74.

Turner started at center once again and tallied seven points, eight rebounds, and four blocks in 21:14. The 23-year-old Pacers big man started all eight games of the World Cup for the United States.

PHOTO GALLERY: Myles Turner at 2019 FIBA World Cup »

The USA seized control of Saturday's contest early, closing the first quarter with a 10-0 run to open up a 14-point lead. Turner helped them stretch the margin to as many as 19 points in the second quarter, where he knocked down a 3-pointer and blocked two shots.

He added a dunk and a layup in the third quarter, though Poland did manage to trim the deficit to 63-55 entering the fourth quarter. But the Americans kept them at arms' length the rest of the way, as Turner collected two more blocks in the final frame.

Donovan Mitchell led the USA with 16 points and 10 assists, going a perfect 4-for-4 from 3-point range. Joe Harris added 14 points, Khris Middleton had 13 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Derrick White added 12 points and seven assists.

The USA had just nine available players for Saturday's contest, as Kemba Walker (neck) joined Marcus Smart (calf) and Jayson Tatum (ankle) on the sideline.

Mateusz Ponitka had a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds for Poland in the loss.

The World Cup concludes on Sunday. France — which knocked off the United States in the quarterfinals — faces Australia in the third-place game at 4:00 AM ET. Then at 8:00 AM ET, the championship game will be a clash between two long-time international powers, Argentina and Spain.

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Turner, USA Close World Cup with Win Over Poland

Heading into the 2019 FIBA World Cup, many experts predicted the United States and Serbia would meet in the championship game. Instead, they met on Thursday in the consolation bracket after unexpected quarterfinal exits.

Serbia got the better of the USA on Thursday in Dongguan, China, racing out to a 25-point lead after one quarter and holding on for a 94-89 victory.

Pacers center Myles Turner had 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, five rebounds, and two blocks in the loss.

Turner actually scored the first two points of Thursday's contest off a dish from Kemba Walker, but that was one of only a handful of highlights for the Americans in the first quarter.

Bogdan Bogdanovic caught fire for Serbia, hitting four straight 3-pointers at one point, while the USA couldn't muster any offensive counter on the other end. The result was a lopsided 32-7 score after the opening frame.

But to their credit, the United States battled back in the second quarter. Turner scored seven points on a dunk, a three, and a layup, the latter of which capped a 33-12 quarter for the Americans to trim the margin to just four points heading into halftime.

Serbia maintained the lead throughout the third quarter, but the Americans trailed just 71-68 entering the fourth. But Serbia scored the first seven points of the final frame and eventually stretched their advantage to 13 points.

The United States made one last charge, twice cutting the deficit to four in the final minute, but never again got within one possession of the lead.

Bogdanovic led all scorers with 28 points, going 7-for-14 from 3-point range. Vladimir Lucic added 15 points for Serbia, while NBA All-Star Nikola Jokic chipped in nine points, three rebounds, and seven assists.

Harrison Barnes led the United States with 22 point, five rebounds, and four assists in the loss. Walker added 18 points, four boards, and eight assists, while Khris Middleton finished with 16 points and six rebounds.

The Americans had only 10 available players on Thursday, as Celtics wings Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart have been shut down for the remainder of the tournament. Tatum has not played since injuring his ankle against Turkey in the first round of the tournament, while Smart has battled multiple injuries over the last month and was already held out of a first-round win over Japan for precautionary reasons.

The United States will close out the 2019 FIBA World Cup on Saturday in the seventh place game, where they will face Poland — who lost to the Czech Republic on Thursday — at 4:00 AM ET.

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Serbia Hands USA Second Straight Loss

The United States fell to France on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the 2019 FIBA World Cup in Dongguan, China. France outscored the USA 26-13 in the fourth quarter on their way to an 89-79 victory.

The loss snapped a 58-game winning streak for USA Basketball in tournament games with NBA players and means that the Americans will fail to win a major international tournament for the first time since the 2006 world championships.

After scoring a team-high 16 points in Monday's win over Brazil, Pacers center Myles Turner battled foul trouble on Wednesday and played just 10:18, finishing with two points on 1-of-2 shooting, one rebound, and one block.

France took a six-point lead into halftime on Wednesday, but the Americans rallied in the third quarter. Donovan Mitchell went off for 14 points in the frame to help the United States surge back in front.

The United States led 74-67 following Khris Middleton's layup with 7:39 remaining, but France took over from there, reeling off a 15-2 run to take the lead for good. The American offense faltered down the stretch, as they made just one field goal over the final seven minutes.

Rudy Gobert was dominant for France in the interior in the victory. The two-time reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year racked up 21 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks against the United States.

Evan Fournier led the French squad with 22 points and four assists, while Nando De Colo added 18 points.

Mitchell led all scorers with 29 points, while also tallying six rebounds, four assists, and two steals, but did not score in the fourth quarter. Marcus Smart added 11 points in the loss, while Kemba Walker had 10.

While the United States will not win the World Cup, they do still play two more games before leaving China. They will face Nikola Jokic and Serbia in a consolation game on Thursday at 7:00 AM ET.

Regardless of Thursday's outcome, the USA will close out the World Cup on Saturday. If they win, they will face the Poland-Czech Republic winner in the fifth-place game. If they lose, they will face the Poland-Czech Republic loser in the seventh-place game.

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France Upsets USA in Quarterfinals

Myles Turner had his best game so far in the 2019 FIBA World Cup on Monday, scoring 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting, pulling down eight rebounds, and collecting two steals in the United States' 89-73 win over Brazil in Shenzhen.

Greece's win over the Czech Republic earlier on Monday officially advanced Team USA to the quarterfinals, but the victory over Brazil sealed first place in Group K. The Americans will face France on Wednesday at 7:00 AM ET.

Turner started at center and tallied six quick points on Monday, helping the United States jump out to an early 14-7 lead.

Brazil clawed back to tie the game at 23 early in the second quarter, but Turner scored four points during a subsequent 5-0 run that put the Americans back in front. The USA remained in front the rest of the half, taking a 43-39 lead into halftime.

USA Basketball pulled away in the second half, with Turner again playing a big role. He opened the scoring in the third quarter by running the break, catching a long outlet pass from Donovan Mitchell, and converting in transition. He added two jumpers — one banked in from the wing — over the rest of the frame.

The United States took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter and opened the final frame with a 16-6 run to put the game away.

Turner shared team-high scoring honors with Kemba Walker, who had 16 points while going 6-for-9 from the field and five assists. Jaylen Brown added 11 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Harrison Barnes scored 10 points in the victory.

The win also secured a spot for the United States in the 2020 Olympics. The two top-finishing teams from the Americas clinch a spot in Tokyo, and the USA and Argentina were the only two teams from the Americas to advance the quarterfinals.

They could potentially meet in the semifinals, as Argentina faces Serbia in the other quarterfinal game on the United States' side of the bracket. The other side of the bracket features Spain vs. Poland and Australia vs. the Czech Republic.

Regardless of results, all of the teams that reached the quarterfinals will play three more games, as there is a loser's bracket to seed the teams from first to eighth. If the Americans, win on Wednesday, they will play the Argentina-Serbia winner on Friday. If they lose, they will face the Argentina-Serbia loser on Thursday.

Meanwhile in Nanjing on Monday, Lithuania cruised to a 74-55 win over the Dominican Republic in their final game of the World Cup. Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis was held out of Monday's contest after his country was eliminated from advancing following Saturday's loss to France.

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Turner Scores 16 as USA Advances to Quarterfinals

The Pacers' two starting big men were on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum on Saturday at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.

Myles Turner anchored a dominant defensive performance as the United States handled reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece, 69-53, in Shenzhen.

But in Nanjing, Domantas Sabonis and Lithuania put together a remarkable fourth-quarter comeback, only to fall in heartbreaking fashion to France, 78-75. The loss officially eliminated Lithuania from advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals.

Turner had a solid showing for the Americans on Saturday, tallying eight points on 3-of-6 shooting, seven rebounds, and two blocks in 14:28.

The 23-year-old big man got involved early, blocking Nick Calathes in the opening minutes of Saturday's contest and then converting a difficult finish over Antetokounmpo in the pick-and-roll to give the USA its first lead at the 7:24 mark in the first quarter.

He added six more points and another block as the United States closed the first half on a 9-2 run to open up a 13-point lead. Turner converted a hook shot with 3:48 left in the second quarter, blocked Antetokounmpo at thee 1:39 mark, scored on a driving layup with 55 seconds remaining, and then knocked down two free throws for the final points of the half.

The Americans were never seriously threatened the rest of the way, as they stifled the Greek offense, holding the two-time European champions to just 32 percent shooting.

Kemba Walker led the USA with 15 points, four rebounds, and six assists in the victory, while Donovan Mitchell added 10 points, five boards, and three assists.

Antetokounmpo finished with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 13 rebounds, two steals, and one block for Greece.

The United States is now 4-0 for the tournament and atop Group K with one game remaining in the second round. The top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals and the Americans led win their group with a win over Brazil on Monday (8:30 AM ET on ESPN+).

Lithuania, on the other hand, saw its hopes of advancing dashed on Saturday. Their loss to France, coupled with Australia's win over the Dominican Republic, mean that Lithuania (2-2) will finish at best in third place in Group L.

France led by double digits for most of Saturday's contest, including an 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter. But the Lithuanians battled back, eventually taking a 69-68 lead after Sabonis drove and dished to Lukas Lekavicius for a 3-pointer with 4:27 to play.

The two teams went back-and-forth down the stretch, but Evan Fournier's floater with 53 seconds remaining broke a 74-74 tie and proved to be the game-winner. Jonas Valanciunas drew a foul on the other end but only converted one of two free throws. Nando De Colo converted a fadeaway with 15 seconds left to make it a three-point game, and then Jonas Maciulis missed a shot that would have forced overtime.

Sabonis logged 26:04 on Saturday, finishing with seven points on 3-of-9 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, and one block.

PHOTO GALLERY: Domantas Sabonis at 2019 FIBA World Cup »

Valanciunas led Lithuania with 18 points and eight boards in the loss.

Fournier poured in 24 points for France, while De Colo added 21.

Lithuania still has one group game remaining against the Dominican Republic on Monday (4:00 AM ET on ESPN+).

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Americans Handle Greece, Lithuania Eliminated from Medal Contention

The USA Basketball Men's National Team survived a major scare on Tuesday, but they had no such problems on Thursday. Myles Turner and the United States rolled to a 98-45 victory over Japan in Shanghai on the final day of the first round of the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Turner once again started at center for the USA. The Pacers' fifth-year big man tallied three points, nine rebounds (four offensive), two blocks, and one steal in 18:51.

The contest was never in doubt, as the Americans scored the first 13 points, led by 33 at halftime, and by 53 at the end of the third quarter. Jaylen Brown led the United States with 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting, seven rebounds, and two steals.

Kemba Walker added 15 points and eight assists, while Harrison Barnes chipped in 14 points and eight boards. Donovan Mitchell (10 points and six assists) and Joe Harris (10 points and five rebounds) also finished in double figures.

The United States won Group E and will advance along with the Czech Republic to the second round of the World Cup. Those two nations will be paired with the top two teams from Group F — Brazil and Greece — in the new Group K. Each team will play two games against the two teams it has not yet played in the second round, with the top two teams after those results moving on to an eight-team bracket that will determine the eventual champions.

Meanwhile in Dongguan, Pacers center Domantas Sabonis and the Lithuanian national team dropped a hard-fought contest to Australia, 87-82.

Sabonis had 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one block in the loss. The 23-year-old went 4-for-6 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

But Australia prevailed, winning Group H thanks to strong contributions from the likes of Patty Mills (23 points on 8-of-16 shooting) and Aron Baynes (21 points and 13 rebounds).

Despite Thursday's result, both Lithuania and Australia advanced to the second round, where they will join France and the Dominican Republic to form the new Group L.

Both the United States and Lithuania return to action on Saturday, when Lithuania takes on France at 8:00 AM ET in Nanjing and the Americans face reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece at 8:30 AM ET in Shenzhen.

Then on Monday, Lithuania will take on the Dominican Republic at 4:00 AM ET while the United States battles Brazil at 8:30 AM ET.

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Turner and USA Dominate, But Sabonis and Lithuania Fall

Both Domantas Sabonis' Lithuania and Myles Turner's United States national teams prevailed on Tuesday in 2019 FIBA World Cup group stage games, but the two teams did so in drastically different fashion.

Sabonis had 10 points, eight rebounds, and four assists as Lithuania cruised to a 92-69 victory over Canada in Dongguan, China.

There was much more drama in Shanghai, where the Americans survived a wild contest, edging out Turkey in overtime, 93-92. Turner had 11 points (all in the first half), nine rebounds, one block, and one steal in the victory.

The United States trailed 92-91 and lost the ball in the closing seconds when Dogus Balbay stripped Turner. Joe Harris intentionally fouled Balbay but was deemed to have not made a play on the ball, which is considered an unsportsmanlike foul in international play.

That ruling gave Turkey two shots and the ball. But Balbay missed both free throws and after a subsequent foul, Cedi Osman did the same. Jayson Tatum corralled the rebound off the Turks' fourth straight miss and pushed the break, eventually dishing to Khris Middleton, who drew a foul at the rim.

Middleton calmly sank both foul shots with 2.1 seconds left and Ersan Ilyasova missed a three on the other end to allow the Americans to escape with a win.

Turner started at center and did most of his offensive damage early in Tuesday's contest. He scored the game's first points on a dunk, then later converted a three-point play to cap a 10-2 USA run to open the contest.

He hit three free throws and drained a three from the top of the arc in the second quarter to cap his scoring.

Middleton led the Americans with 15 points on Tuesday, while Kemba Walker added 14 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.

Ilyasova led all scorers with 23 points and also pulled down 14 rebounds. Melih Mahmutoglu added 18 points for Turkey.

Meanwhile in Dongguan, the Lithuanians grabbed an early lead and handled their business from there, leading by double digits virtually the entire second half in their win over Canada.

Sabonis was a menace on the offensive glass, collecting five offensive rebounds while converting 3-of-8 field goals and 4-of-6 free throws.

Edgaras Ulanovas had a team-high 15 points for Lithuania, while Jonas Valanciunas added 13 points and eight boards.

Kyle Wiltjer had 24 points for the Canadians, while Sabonis' former Pacers teammate Cory Joseph added 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Canada — which saw most of its NBA players opt not to play in the World Cup — has been officially eliminated from medal contention.

Both the United States and Lithuania are now 2-0 in preliminary group play and have secured advancement to the secondary group stage, which begins on Friday.

They each play once more before then on Thursday. Lithuania will take on Australia to determine the winner of Group H at 7:30 AM ET, while the United States can win Group E with a victory over Japan at 8:30 AM ET.