The U.S. Men’s basketball team found themselves in an unfamiliar position going into their second game against Iran. It was a must-win game that could have ended any chance of getting out of the group phase for a gold medal. Before their matchup, they went through an intense practice trying to clean up any issues shown in the France loss on Sunday.
Dues paid. Inside 🇺🇸 #USABMNT practice ahead of Wednesday’s #Tokyo2020 matchup with 🇮🇷 Iran (12:40 AM ET, Peacock)! pic.twitter.com/MVkssq0yTK
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 27, 2021
The intensity carried over into the game and after the first quarter, the game was basically over thanks to the U.S. finding their three-point stroke. The U.S. made 19 shots from beyond the arc and shot 55 percent from the field.
Damian Lillard improved from the last game, scoring 21 points. Devin Booker had 16 and Jayson Tatum finished with 14 in the 120-66 win on Wednesday. The win marks their first victory after having their 25-game Olympic winning streak snapped.
The Americans finish out their Group A competition against the Czech Republic on Saturday. If they win, the U.S. qualifies for the quarterfinals. Even if they lose the game, there’s a solid chance that they would advance. Due to the huge point differential of this game, it helps fill out the lower seeds of the single-elimination quarterfinals.
