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The United States’ 3-on-3 men’s basketball team was defeated by Latvia on Thursday by the final score of 21-19.
USA Basketball 3×3 @usab3x3
Heartbreaker. pic.twitter.com/eJaAq39K1b
The U.S. suffered two losses on Thursday after falling to Lithuania by the final score of 20-18 earlier in the day. Former NBA guard Jimmer Fredette was unable to suit up for either contest due to an injury.
Fredette and the rest of the U.S. team are now 0-4 in pool play.
3×3 Basketball Standings
- Latvia: 4-0 (84 Adj-Points)
- Serbia: 3-1 (76 Adj-Points)
- France: 2-2 (71 Adj-Points)
- Lithuania: 2-2 (75 Adj-Points)
- Netherlands: 2-2 (72 Adj-Points)
- Poland: 2-2 (71 Adj-Points)
- China: 1-3 (62 Adj-Points)
- United States: 0-4 (68 Adj-Points)
The defeat against Latvia was particularly heartbreaking, as the United States held a 19-15 lead and needed just one bucket from behind the arc to secure the victory. However, the team was unable to score for the rest of the contest before Kārlis Lasmanis recorded the game-winning shot for Latvia.
Lasmanis finished with eight points and four rebounds in just over eight minutes on the floor, shooting 5-6 from inside the arc. As Fredette was out, former G League guard Canyon Barry finished with a team-high 10 points.
With a winless record, the United States are in danger of getting eliminated. With three games left, the U.S. will need to be nearly perfect and receive some help from other teams.
In the 3-on-3 event, the top two teams will automatically advance to the next round after pool play. The bottom two teams will be eliminated, while No. 3 through No. 6 will face off in play-in games to secure spots in the semifinal.
While the roster doesn’t feature the NBA All-Star talent that the 5-on-5 roster has, it’s still surprising to see the United States failing to record a win with pool play starting to wind down. If Fredette is unable to return before the team’s next contest against France on Friday, the U.S. could risk potential elimination.
