Team USA faced their biggest test on Sunday in their third exhibition against Spain, FIBA’s top-ranked team in the world. But as was the case throughout last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Austin Reaves was ready to rise to the occasion when his team needed him most.
Reaves continued to look the part of being an important contributor on this Team USA roster, finishing with 11 points, two rebounds and two assists in America’s 98-88 victory over Spain. Reaves added a pair of steals while also knocking down four of his five shots from the field. Team USA is now 3-0 so far in their exhibition run and continues to look like one of the favorites in the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
Coming off the bench once again, Reaves immediately made an impact once he checked in, knocking down a midrange jumper. He also ended the first half with a breakaway dunk to give USA a 10-point lead going into halftime. Spain would fight back in the third quarter, but USA was able to pull away in the fourth with Reaves making some crucial plays on both ends of the court.
His defense in was particularly impressive in this contest. Oftentimes he would find himself switched on to a bigger player but regularly held his own and would not get pushed around on the block. Reaves also created a couple of turnovers that led to easy buckets while also having a couple of other possessions in which his one-on-one defense forced Spain into tough shots.
Team USA was led by Jalen Brunson, who shot a perfect 10-of-10 from the field on his way to 23 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 14 points and three blocks while Tyrese Haliburton dished out 12 assists off the bench for the Americans, who had an outstanding offensive performance as they shot 66.7% from the field and 55.6% from 3-point range.
There were some areas of improvement that will need to shored up for Team USA, however, as they committed 20 turnovers on the night while also allowing Spain to grab 20 offensive rebounds.
Spain was led by Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama, who finished with 14 points and former New Orleans Pelicans center Willy Hernangomez, who added 13.
Next up for Team USA
Team USA will now travel to Abu Dhabi for their final two exhibition games before the FIBA World Cup begins. They will first take on Greece on Friday, Aug. 18 before finishing out their exhibition schedule against Germany on Sunday, Aug. 20.
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