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SPORTS Tuesday 10 sepTember 2019
Olympic bound U.S.
tops Brazil 89-73, gains
World Cup quarters
By TIM REYNOLDS a three-team, points-dif-
AP Basketball Writer ferential tiebreaker over
SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Greece and Brazil after
The first mission for the U.S. they all went 3-2 in group
is complete: The Americans play.
are going to the Tokyo “It’s already been a
Olympics. dream,” Czech guard To-
And now the World Cup mas Satoransky said.
quarterfinals await. Greece defeated the
Kemba Walker and Myl- Czech Republic 84-77 in
es Turner each scored 16 Shenzhen, an outcome
points, and the Americans that meant the U.S. went
earned a top seed for the into the Brazil game as-
quarterfinals by beating sured a spot in the quar- United States’ Myles Turner reaches for the ball near Brazil’s Vitor Benite at right during a match for
Brazil 89-73 on Monday ters. All that was at stake the FIBA Basketball World Cup at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Shenzhen on Monday, Sept.
in the final second-round was seeding and where it 9, 2019.
game of the tournament. was going, either to nearby Associated Press
The U.S., bidding to be- Dongguan by bus or back shooting 55 percent in the ... Walker, who missed the from 1959 through 1970.
come the first nation to win on a plane to Shanghai. opening 20 minutes thanks morning shootaround with TOKYO-BOUND
three consecutive World Get the bus ready. France, largely to Walker and Turn- an illness, was in the starting The U.S. men will be in the
Cups, will face France on a 100-98 loser to Australia er. They were 9 for 11 in the lineup. ... The Olympic berth Olympics for the 19th time
Wednesday — and won’t on Monday, awaits the U.S. half from the floor com- was clinched because next summer, extending
have to go through any ex- on Wednesday in the quar- bined, while their team- automatic spots go to the their record. The only Olym-
tra qualifying tournament terfinals. Other quarterfinal mates were 9 for 22. top two World Cup finishers pic basketball tournament
next summer for the Olym- matchups: Spain vs. Poland Eventually, the Americans from the Americas region, that didn’t have the Ameri-
pics. and Serbia vs. Argentina pulled away. and the U.S. and Argentina cans was at Moscow in
“We’re thrilled that we’ve on Tuesday, and Australia Marcus Smart’s buzzer- are the lone quarterfinalists 1980, when the U.S. boycot-
qualified for the Olympics,” vs. the Czech Republic on beating, hand-in-his-face out of that group. ... Smart, ted. The U.S. is 18 for 18 in
said U.S. coach Gregg Wednesday. 3-pointer to beat the third who has twice battled leg earning medals — 15 gold,
Popovich, who will lead the The only way to stay in quarter horn put the U.S. issues this summer, limped one silver and two bronze.
Americans in Tokyo next the mix for gold now is to up 11, and a 15-6 run to to the bench in the fourth PETROVIC EJECTED
summer as well. “With this keep winning. That’s the start the fourth — mostly by quarter in obvious discom- Brazil coach Aleksandar
new situation in qualifying, approach the Americans getting to the rim, includ- fort. He was walking nor- Petrovic was ejected in the
you don’t want to do that — likening the World Cup ing back-to-back scores mally not long afterward. second quarter after pick-
every year. That’s a pretty feel to an NBA Finals feel by Barnes, and capped by Brazil: Vitor Benite led Bra- ing up his second technical
big grind.” — have carried throughout a 3-pointer from Walker — zil with 21, and well-known foul. His first came midway
It was a win three nations the tournament anyway. put the game away and NBA names Anderson Va- through the first quarter af-
could celebrate: The U.S. “Pop talked about how this gave the Americans an 83- rejao and Leandro Bar- ter arguing a kicked-ball
victory not only resulted in is June, this is June basket- 62 lead with 5:50 left. bosa each had 14. ... Brazil call, then waving his hand
an Olympic berth but also ball,” U.S. guard Joe Harris “For most of the game we has lost seven consecutive dismissively at a referee’s
clinched an Olympic spot said. “That’s what our men- played them tough,” Brazil meetings with the Ameri- warning to calm down. The
for Argentina and a quar- tality has got to be like.” forward Anderson Varejao cans now, but always second came when Vare-
terfinal spot for the Czech Jaylen Brown scored 11 said. “But in the end, we seems to be a thorny op- jao had a clear lane to the
Republic. The Czechs and Harrison Barnes added couldn’t keep up.” ponent for the U.S. in the basket, got cut off by Turn-
moved on despite losing 10 for the U.S. (5-0). TIP-INS World Cup. The teams’ last er and no foul got called
earlier Monday to NBA MVP The U.S. opened on a 14-7 U.S.: The U.S. pushed its win- meeting in 2010, a 70-68 — so he went off, and was
Giannis Antetokounmpo run, then led by as many ning streak in major interna- U.S. win, went down to the sent off.
and Greece. as eight late in the half — tional tournaments — Olym- final second and a missed UP NEXT
The Czech Republic yet went into the break pics, World Cup and FIBA shot by Barbosa. And Brazil U.S.: Face France in quar-
grabbed the last place with only a 43-39 lead, un- Americas — with NBA play- topped the U.S. in four con- terfinals Wednesday at
in the round of eight via able to shake Brazil despite ers to 58 straight games. secutive meetings at worlds Dongguan, China.q
Fuglsang wins 16th Vuelta stage, Roglic adds to overall lead
LENA, Spain (AP) — Ja- seconds ahead of Luis León Grand Tour stage is really day for us in the end,” said the 144-kilometer (89-mile)
kob Fuglsang of Denmark Sánchez. special.” Roglic, the former ski jump- stage that finished with a
made a solo charge on the “To win a stage was one of Roglic held on to the lead- er from Slovenia. “I don’t beyond-category summit
final climb to win the 16th my goals coming here as er’s red jersey for the sev- fear the last stages, I’m at the Alto de la Cubilla.
stage of the Spanish Vuelta well as helping the team enth straight day by fend- looking forward to them. Pogacar and López were
on Monday, while Primoz and building my shape for ing off late attacks by his I’m enjoying the race and nearly four minutes off the
Roglic finished strong to in- the last part of the season. closest challengers, includ- so far it’s going really good overall lead.
crease his overall lead. But one thing is to have a ing Miguel Ángel López for me and the team.” On Tuesday, riders get their
It was the first stage win goal, another thing is to and Tadej Pogacar. They Roglic added 23 seconds last rest day before fac-
in a Grand Tour race for achieve it. I’m super hap- all finished nearly six min- to his lead over veteran ing the decisive stretch of
Fuglsang, who finished 22 py with this win,” Fuglsang utes behind Fuglsang. Spaniard Alejandro Val- the three-week Grand Tour
seconds in front of Tao said. “It’s been my best “It was a hard day with a verde, who could not keep race that finishes on Sun-
Geoghegan Hart and 40 season ever. To win my first long last climb. And a good up on the final climb of day in Madrid.q