Jeff Van Gundy warned the Americans that they were in for a serious challenge.
To his chagrin
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Francisco Cruz scored 24 points, Mexico opened with an 18-0 run and went on to beat the United States 78-70 on Thursday night in a qualifying game for next year’s FIBA World Cup.
According to USA Basketball, it was just the second loss by the U.S. in 30 games against Mexico – with the other defeat coming in the 2011 Pan Am Games.
Orlando Mendez-Valdez added 20 points for Mexico, which held the U.S. scoreless for the first 5:51 and forced the Americans into missing their first 10 shots from the floor.
”Mexico dominated us from the start and that’s on me,” Van Gundy said. ”We were not ready to compete at the level Mexico did. Give them all the credit, they played a great, great game.”
Marcus Thornton scored 14 points for the U.S., which is using a roster composed primarily of G League players for the qualifying rounds. Xavier Munford added 11 points while David Stockton and Reggie Hearn each had 10 for the Americans.
The U.S. lost for the first time in 10 contests under Van Gundy, who is coaching this team that’s tasked with getting the team of NBA stars that will be coached by Gregg Popovich to the World Cup.
”We can’t underestimate how hard it is going to be to play on the road, at altitude, and against a team desperate to qualify for the FIBA World Cup,” Van Gundy said leading up to the game. ”We have to make sure we match that type of intensity and passion that we know they’ll bring.”
By the time the U.S. found its stride, it was already in deep trouble. Mexico led 31-10 after the first quarter, then staved off a big second-half rally try by the U.S.
Trey McKinney-Jones‘ basket late in the third quarter capped a 15-1 run and put the U.S. within 53-51. Thornton made a pair of 3-pointers about a minute apart in that burst
Authentic Thomas Rawls Jersey , and Hearn’s 3-pointer early in the fourth cut Mexico’s lead to 56-54.
But the U.S. never got the lead.
”In the second half we competed at a high level and that high level got us back in the game, but we just couldn’t get over the hump,” Van Gundy said.
The Americans (4-1) – who have already ensured themselves a spot in the second round of qualifying that starts in September – end the first-round series of games Sunday when they go to Havana to face Cuba (0-5). It’ll be the first time a U.S. men’s national team has played in Havana since the 1991 Pan American Games. Mexico (3-2) also wraps up its first round on Sunday, when it plays at Puerto Rico (3-2).
David Huertas had 18 points, Angel Rodriguez and JJ Barea each had 15 and Puerto Rico rallied in the fourth quarter in another qualifying game Thursday to top Cuba 84-80.
Under FIBA’s new qualifying format, teams are playing home-and-home games against teams in their region to earn places in the World Cup in China, which begins on Aug. 31, 2019. That tournament will qualify seven teams for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
This was the first time the U.S. played a true road game during this tournament. The Americans opened qualifying in November with an 85-78 win in what was a ”home” game for Puerto Rico – but the contest was actually played in Orlando, Florida because of continued problems in San Juan following Hurricane Maria.
And this was very much a real road atmosphere.
Not only was the game played at Mexico City’s 7,500-foot altitude, but in a filled 5,000-seat arena that Mexican officials said sold out in only 45 minutes.
The tone was set by the U.S. turning the ball over on each of its first three possessions, and Mexico was off and running.
The U.S. routed Mexico back in November, winning by 36 points.
That was a very different Mexico team.
Only four players from the Mexican roster then were in uniform on Thursday night, with the team now able to add those who were playing in their various professional leagues and unable to take part when the qualifying rounds began. Cruz and Mendez-Valdez each had 13 points by halftime
Youth Kevin Hogan Jersey , and Gustavo Ayon was a big factor even without big numbers – four points, four rebounds and five assists by the break.
If their names are familiar to U.S. basketball aficionados, it’s for good reason.
Ayon appeared in 135 NBA games in parts of three seasons with four different franchises, and just helped Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid win the EuroLeague. Mendez-Valdez was part of the Western Kentucky team that went to the Sweet Sixteen in 2008, and he won the Sun Belt’s player of the year award in the following season. Cruz played at Wyoming and has played in pro leagues in Mexico, Latvia, Argentina and Spain.
The final pass Alex Smith threw this season was an incompletion over the middle on fourth down, one that would have given the Kansas City Chiefs a chance to kick a winning field goal had he completed it.
It may ultimately be his final pass with the Chiefs, too.
Smith is under contract next season, but the cash-strapped Chiefs are expected to trade or release the veteran quarterback and turn the franchise over to first-round pick Patrick Mahomes II. And if that is the case, Smith’s career in Kansas City will be summed up by that errant throw over the middle.
He was good enough to lead the Chiefs to the playoffs.
He wasn’t good enough to lead them much farther.
”I’ll get into all that in the next couple of weeks,” said Smith, who did say that he wants to remain with Kansas City, but ultimately knows the decision is out of his hands.
”I’m under contract for another year,” he said. ”Like I said
Authentic Johnny Townsend Jersey , I’m not thinking about anything else. Right now, I’m obviously disappointed. Like I said, I felt like we had a good chance. It’s gone. It’s over.”
As the Chiefs head into the offseason after a 22-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, a game in which they blew a 21-3 halftime lead, the biggest question mark becomes their quarterback situation.
Smith certainly made it a tougher decision than most had expected.
He threw for more than 4,000 yards for the first time, and he had 26 touchdown passes with just five interceptions during the regular season. He led the Chiefs to back-to-back AFC West titles for the first time in franchise history, made the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons and set all kinds of club records along the way, including pass attempts and postseason touchdown passes.
Reid has professed his admiration for Smith countless times over the years, and he was in favor of the trade that brought him to Kansas City from San Francisco. But the coach is also aware that the NFL is a business, and sometimes finances dictate difficult decisions.
”I can’t get into all that right now,” Reid said. ”I don’t know. We’ve got to go back and go through all of that. It’s a long process and surely after that game isn’t where you go with that.”
As the Chiefs head into the offseason, Smith isn’t the only topic of conversation:
RETIREMENT QUESTIONS: Chiefs linebackers Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali could consider hanging it up after another letdown. Johnson still played at a reasonably high level, and said he’ll head home to Texas and ponder his future, while Hali was reduced to a part-time role because of his ailing knees. If he does not retire
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PROMISING YOUNGSTERS: The Chiefs have reason for optimism in that most of their biggest stars are young. Tyreek Hill had a breakout second season as a wide receiver, Kareem Hunt led the league in rushing as a rookie and defensive tackle Chris Jones is an emerging star on the other side of the ball.
COACHING CHANGES: Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and special teams coach Dave Toub are expected to interview for head coaching vacancies in Indianapolis and possibly Chicago. Nagy has become a hot target after taking over play-calling with great success midway through the season, while Toub had interviews last season for head coaching vacancies.
DRAFT DEARTH: The Chiefs have traded away many of their future picks to acquire talent, including their first-round selection this year as part of the deal that landed Mahomes last year. So, they have only a second, third, fourth and sixth in the upcoming draft, putting new general manager Brett Veach in quite a predicament as he tries to bolster a roster that was not quite good enough.
SNAKE-BIT FRANCHISE: Despite all the good that came of this season, the Chiefs still must feel like they’re a bit cursed. What would have happened had star safety Eric Berry not been lost for the season in their opener? Or if star tight end Travis Kelce didn’t go down in the first half against Tennessee with a concussion? ”The tendency is to look back and say, ”What happened?’ I don’t think that’s the way to go about it,” offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz said. ”We just have to figure out how to play better.”
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