Already qualified for the quarter-finals, Team USA can approach the last group match with a little lightness, thinking about what's next. But it's precisely because the present will influence the future that this match against Puerto Rico is important.
The goal is to finish on a good note, as hard as possible for the opponent, to offer an “easier” continuation of the competition.
“We want first place, that gives us the best match for the quarter-finals,” Steve Kerr announces. “If we are second or third, which is unlikely but we have to do the job, then we will have a more difficult opponent.”
The importance of point average
Canada and Germany finished top of their groups, with points averages of +20 and +47 respectively (the win over France helped boost it). Team USA is currently at +43. They will therefore need to beat Puerto Rico by at least five points to become the best leader in this group stage.
Although it is not part of the culture of NBA players, this point system arrived in the Major League last season, with its uncertainty and calculations, thanks to the creation of the mid-season tournament.
“The point average is important, so in the first two games we were focused on not taking our foot off the gas, like we sometimes do in the NBA,” insists Derrick White. “It's different from what we know, but it's part of the tournament.”
