A major upset! Men's Basketball Americas Cup: USA 85-86 Uruguay, extreme scenario: eliminated in group stage

On August 25th Beijing time, the second round of the Men's Basketball Americas Cup group stage continued. A highly anticipated game just concluded, where the title favorite USA men's team underperformed and lost 85-86 to Uruguay, suffering their first defeat. This truly shocked many. This loss dealt a blow to the USA, and in an extreme case, they might be knocked out in the group stage!

The USA men's basketball team is ranked number one globally. Apart from focusing on the Olympics, the USA rarely sends its top players to other tournaments. This Americas Cup is no exception. However, even with these secondary players, the USA team still ranks second in terms of strength!

In the first round of the group stage, the USA team struggled against the Bahamas, going into overtime before finally pulling off a strong finish to secure the win and start with a victory. In the second round, their opponent was Uruguay, ranked seventh in the power rankings!

After the game started, both teams had low shooting percentages. Uruguay's offense was efficient, keeping pressure on the USA and outscoring them by 4 points in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the USA improved their shooting with contributions from multiple players, erased the deficit, and took a 3-point lead by halftime. In the second half, the USA offense stalled again, while Uruguay combined inside and outside play to outscore the USA by 7 points in the third quarter, taking a 4-point lead going into the final period. The last quarter was fiercely contested with back-and-forth scoring and close margins. In the final moments, Uruguay maintained the lead as the USA missed several three-point attempts, ultimately losing. Two Uruguay players scored over 20 points, pulling off a shocking upset over the USA. After the win, Uruguay players celebrated wildly, knowing this victory was hard-earned and crucial for securing advancement!

Although the USA did not send their strongest team to the Americas Cup, it does not matter which squad they send as long as it represents the USA. After this loss, the USA team suffered a setback, dropping to third place in the group rankings. Their last game will be against Brazil, ranked first in strength. If they lose that match, the USA can only aim for the best possible third place in the group, which could very likely result in elimination, meaning they might be stopped at the group stage!

Written by / Sports Novel