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After cruising to a 3-0 record in group play, the United States opens up the second round in the FIBA World Cup against Montenegro, who are facing off against the Americans after dropping the group stage finale to Lithuania. Tipoff between the United States and Montenegro is set for 4:40 a.m. on Friday, September 1 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
The US flew through the group stage with convincing wins over New Zealand, Greece and Jordan. The tournament has served as an official coming out party for Anthony Edwards, as the Timberwolves All-Star is averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game, and is coming off a 22-point performance against Jordan. After Edwards, Paolo Banchero is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game, which is boosted by his 21-point performance against New Zealand in the tournament opener. USA’s depth is unmatched, as Walker Kessler, Austin Reaves (eight points each) and Bobby Portis (13 points) are coming off strong games off the bench against Jordan.
As mentioned above, Montenegro are facing off against the United States after dropping their group play finale against Lithuania. While they jumped out to a 27-26 lead after the first quarter, they trailed by eight at halftime and entered the fourth quarter losing 56-40. Montenegro are led by Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who’s averaged 20.7 points per game and seven rebounds per game in the group stage. Kendrick Perry (13.3 ppg) and and Nikola Ivanovic (10 points per game) are the team’s other main scoring threats. They opened group play with wins over Mexico and Egypt.
The United States are 25-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the point total is set at 181.5.
USA vs. Montenegro
Date: Friday, September 1
Time: 4:40 a.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN2
Livestream: WatchESPN, ESPN+
If you aren’t around a TV to check out this matchup, you can stream the game via WatchESPN or the ESPN app. But keep in mind that you need a cable-login subscription. If you don’t have a cable login to access ESPN for a live stream, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream the game.