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Serbia beat the Czech Republic on Saturday to secure fifth place at the 2019 FIFA World Cup, while Team USA beat Poland to finish seventh.
Serbia ran out 90-81 winners over the Czechs at the Wukesong Sport Arena in Beijing, while the United States saw off Poland 87-74 in the earlier game.
The Americans were more clinical than their opponents as they made 19-of-36 from two and 12-of-25 from three. By contrast, Poland was 22-of-46 from two and just 7-of-27 from beyond the arc having missed with each of its first 13 efforts.
Team USA capitalised on that early profligacy as it raced to a 28-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. It edged out a much tighter second quarter to extend its lead by three going into halftime.
Poland narrowed the gap considerably in the third, though, finishing the period 25-16 to reduce the deficit to eight points.
It never made it within to seven points of the United States in the fourth quarter, though, with the Americans doing just enough to avoid a tense finish to the game.
Poland’s Mateusz Ponitka finished with a game-high 18 points, while Adam Waczynski scored 17 and A.J. Slaughter posted 15.
Donovan Mitchell was the Americans’ top scorer on 16, in part thanks to scoring all four of his three-point attempts, while four other players also reached double figures.
Opta Larry put Mitchell’s performance in perspective:
The win will be of little consolation for the USA, though, as The Athletic’s Joe Vardon observed:
Joe Vardon @joevardon
Good morning from Beijing. Team USA wins its World Cup finale over Poland, 87-74, to place seventh. It’s the worst finish for the Americans in major competition (WC or Olympics)
Serbia pulled off an impressive comeback in its match.
There was nothing to separate the teams in the first period at 20-20, but the Czech Republic went in at halftime with a nine-point lead after taking control in the second:
An emphatic response from the Serbs stunned their opponents in the third, however. Serbia won the quarter 28-12, with four three-pointers, three layups and a dunk helping them along the way:
It then edged out the Czech Republic 21-19 in the final quarter to secure the victory.
Bogdan Bogdanovic, who knocked down seven shots from beyond the arc, scored a game-high 31 points.
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