FIBA World Cup 2014: Championship Game Results and Most Impressive Players
The championship game victory for the United States at the 2014 FIBA World Cup was something of a formality after Spain lost in the quarterfinals.
The Americans dominated an overmatched Serbia squad to the tune of 129-92 behind an incredible effort from Kyrie Irving. Irving spearheaded the win with 26 points, while James Harden chipped in 23 of his own.
In all, eight Americans ended up in double figures.
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Team USA marched its way to victory every time it took the floor in Spain. In fact, the closest margin of victory for the entire tournament for Mike Krzyzewski’s team was 21 points in a group-stage game against Turkey.
ESPN Stats & Info noted how impressive the red, white and blue were in Spain:
We know the Americans were absolutely dominant as a whole, so let’s look at some of the most impressive players from Sunday’s final and the World Cup.
Kyrie Irving
Serbia actually held an early eight-point lead Sunday until Irving decided to take matters into his own hands.
He finished with 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 shooting from downtown. Irving also added four assists and even a block for good measure.
Ben Axelrod of Bleacher Report pointed out that it added to Cleveland’s recent momentum in the sporting world:
Irving was most impressive Sunday, but he was awarded with the MVP for the entire World Cup for his efforts. He scored 12.1 points a night for the Americans, but it was his overall poise leading the team from the point guard spot that earned him the MVP honors.
Derrick Rose struggled with his health before the World Cup started and didn’t see as many minutes as expected, so Irving was thrown into the fire a bit.
He handled it beautifully.
Kenneth Faried
Kenneth Faried’s inclusion on this list is more about his tournament as a whole than his performance Sunday.
While he did finish with 12 points and seven rebounds, he posted nightly averages of 12.4 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds in Spain. He also posted an American-best 17.8 efficiency per game rating, which was a testament to how impressive he was in his time on the floor.
NBA on ESPN noted that Faried was one of two U.S. players on the All-World Cup team:
ESPN commentator Fran Fraschilla told Bleacher Report his opinion on Faried before the semifinals began: “If I had a vote for MVP in this tournament, it would be Kenneth Faried. He’s been their high-energy drink.”
Faried’s overall performance at the World Cup should be most encouraging to Denver Nuggets fans going forward.
He played on a team full of NBA superstars, many of whom were much more recognizable names than him, and he looked incredibly comfortable the entire time.
He was a monster on the defensive side, protected the rim every night out and scored efficiently around the basket.
Faried’s confidence will also see a boost heading into the NBA schedule after his performance. If he can do that at an international level with superstar teammates, he can do that for the Nuggets this season.
James Harden
Harden has been criticized for his defense, but defense simply wasn’t necessary Sunday.
Harden was a critical cog in the offensive machine that was the Americans Sunday and finished with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 shooting from downtown. The NBA noted that Harden helped Irving put the game away:
Harden actually led the Americans with 14.2 points a night throughout the tournament.
His overall shooting and offensive prowess were critical for a team that lost Paul George (to injury) and Kevin Durant (who pulled out) before the actual tournament started.
*All quotes were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted.
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