FIBA World Cup 2014: Day 9 Schedule and Predictions After Day 8 Bracket Results
Eight teams remain in the 2014 FIBA World Cup after a compelling round of 16. With the action heating up in Spain, Team USA will lace up on Tuesday with a semifinal spot on the line.
Fans bored by the United States' dominance enjoyed some much closer calls on Sunday. Turkey and Lithuania advanced by slim margins on Day 8, a day highlighted by a marquee matchup between Argentina and Brazil.
Waiting for a U.S.-Spain championship bout robs viewers of witnessing some of the world's greatest basketball stars compete on a world stage. After diving into Sunday's results, let's preview Tuesday's pair of quarterfinal showdowns.
| Lithuania | 76-71 | New Zealand |
| Turkey | 65-64 | Australia |
| Serbia | 90-72 | Greece |
| Brazil | 85-65 | Argentina |
| Lithuania vs. Turkey | 11 a.m. | NBA TV |
| U.S. vs. Slovenia | 3 p.m. | NBA TV |
Day 9 Predictions
Lithuania vs. Turkey
It wasn't easy for either squad, but Lithuania and Turkey each edged out a narrow victory on Sunday.
After ending the first quarter up 23-9, Lithuania squandered an early lead against New Zealand, falling to a one-point deficit around the five-minute mark.
Corey Webster nearly willed his country to victory with 26 points, but the Toronto Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas answered back with a team-leading 22 points, 13 boards and three blocks. Lithuania escaped with a 76-71 victory to set up a date with Turkey.
Emir Preldzic saved the Turkish squad from defeat at Australia's hands with two late three-pointers, including a game-winner with five seconds remaining. The 27-year-old had missed his previous five attempts from long range before keeping Turkey alive.
Each squad relies on a hard-nosed NBA center. While Valanciunas leads the way for Lithuania, Omer Asik has fueled Turkey with 9.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Both are physical inside presences, but the Raptors' 22-year-old is out to prove he's a future cornerstone for his NBA and national club.
Head coach Jonas Kazlauskas noted the center's recent improvement to The Associated Press' Joseph Wilson, via Yahoo! Sports.
''Jonas played really well and that's what we expected,'' Kazlauskas said. ''He has gotten stronger and has more experience. Now he respects his opponents even more and knows the price of every game.''
He has fueled an offense that rates seventh with a 48.8 team field-goal percentage this tournament. Turkey lags way behind at No. 15 with a 42.2 percent success rate, so Asik would have to lead a defensive clinic to propel the squad into the final four.
Neither nation is a likely contender for gold, but Lithuania's superior offense will make the difference in a close game between two unlikely participants.
Prediction: Lithuania 73, Turkey 67
Slovenia vs. United States
Slovenia doesn't receive enough credit as one of FIBA's top teams, but the hungry underdog will meet its maker against Team USA.
Entering the tournament ranked No. 13, Slovenia has instead gone 5-1 while placing fourth in points per game behind the U.S., Spain and Brazil, FIBA's perennial favorites. Goran Dragic, the NBA's most underrated offensive fiend, continues to shine in Spain. The Phoenix Suns point guard is averaging 16.6 points per game on an incredible 58.8 field-goal percentage. After recording 20.3 points per game for the Suns last season, he's truly one of the best scorers remaining.
Yet Dragic alone can't match Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis and more.
Team USA is admittedly flawed by its lofty standards. No LeBron James and Kevin Durant means the Americans are nearly much better than everyone else rather than an unstoppable basketball machine.
Grantland's Zach Lowe, who called this roster "probably the weakest iteration of Team USA since the 2006 World Championships," pointed to its subpar guard defenders as a concern.
"Any team starting all three of James Harden, Stephen Curry, and Kyrie Irving would have issues with perimeter defense." Lowe wrote. "Irving and Harden are visibly trying harder than they do in the NBA, to the point that it’s almost embarrassing. Even when dialed in, they’re just not very good."
While that bodes well for Dragic, his limited defense will also mean big scoring outings for the U.S. guards. A shootout awaits, and Team USA has averaged just below 100 points per game, well ahead of No. 2 Spain at 88.2.
There's always the danger of every shooter going cold, which happened for a half against Turkey, but Curry is coming off a 20-point outing against Mexico. Besides, the beauty of this team is you need more than one hand to count the guys that can carry it to victory.
DeMarcus Cousins made all five of his shots against Mexico, registering 11 points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes. The big man rated fifth in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) last year, trailing only Davis in terms of Team USA participants (h/t ESPN.com).
On a team giving Mason Plumlee minutes, Cousins deserves a significantly larger role. Surrounded by an army of shooters, he can bully smaller opponents down the post much like Davis and Kenneth Faried.
Even if he doesn't get a longer leash, expect the Sacramento Kings star to make the most of his playing time again. The U.S. is vulnerable against Spain during a possible finals clash, but don't anticipate Slovenia pulling out a major upset.
Prediction: USA 96, Slovenia 72
