The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup heads into day five on Wednesday. This edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup is being hosted by Spain this time. The winner of the tournament shall see automatic qualification for the 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeriro.
On day five of the World Cup of Basketball, as many as 12 games will be played. The big match on Wednesday, however, will be between the Dominican Republic and basketball powerhouse and present world champions USA.
USA have begun the tournament very well as they have won all their three games so far. In their tournament opener they trumped Finland 114-55. In their next match, USA had a tougher encounter against Turkey but in the end they prevailed 98-77. New Zealand were the latest victims to US's overwhelming power, falling 98-71 on Tuesday.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski seemed satisfied with their show against the Kiwis. "It was a good solid performance," the FIBA official website quoted him as saying.
James Harden, the small forward, too praised their performance against New Zealand especially after their not-so convincing show against Turkey.
"We came off with some good intensity. Especially after the last game the way we struggled in the first half before picking up in the second half. Coach K emphasised how important it was to come off with intensity," he said.
A battle against USA and Spain has been talked about heavily in this tournament. The USA, however, made it clear that they were only thinking of their next game against the Dominican Republic and not any other game as they look to go through to the round of sixteen with another win.
"Quite frankly, we are concentrating on the games we play here. If we advance, we'll watch a lot of them. But for now we are looking at the game here," Krzyzewski said.
The Dominican Republic will go into the match on the back of a 74-68 win over Finland. Facing the might of USA will be a tough proposition, but the Dominican Republic will try not be pushed around. Eloy Vargas, the best performer for them this tournament, will be the key.
In other matches, Mexico will clash with Australia while hosts Spain will go up against European rivals France. Brazil too will feature against Serbia and their South American rivals Argentina and Senegal meet on Wednesday as well.
Where to Watch Live
Day 5 kicks off at 12:30 CET (5:00pm IST), with live coverage in India on Neo Sports and Neo Prime. The FIBA Basketball World Cup will be shown live in the US on ESPN 3 and ESPN 2. Viewers can also catch the action via live streaming online HERE. International viewers, including India, can live stream all the action HERE.
