LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Leandro Barbosa increased his tournament-leading scoring average with 36 points and Brazil hung on for a 93-89 victory over the upset-minded U.S. Virgin Islands on Saturday in the FIBA Americas championship.
The win sets up Sunday's meeting of unbeatens as Brazil (3-0) faces the United States (3-0) on the final day of the first round. The winner will be the top seed from the five-team group heading into the four-game second round. The top two finishers in the 10-team tournament earn berths in the Beijing Olympics.
Barbosa, who plays for the Phoenix Suns, came into the game averaging 22.5 points, including a 30-point performance in the opening win over Canada. Barbosa was one of four players to have scored 30 points in a game before turning in the top effort of the tournament.
The U.S. Virgin Islands (0-3) was setting up the biggest upset of the tournament when it took a 45-33 lead with 2:10 left in the second quarter, and was still ahead 48-41 at halftime.
Brazil finally found its shooting touch and starting playing some defense in a dominant third quarter in which it outscored the U.S. Virgin Islands 31-15, going 4-for-5 from 3-point range after missing eight of nine shots from there in the first half.
Brazil increased the lead to 83-68 with 8:44 to go on a driving layup by Alex Garcia and appeared to be on the way to an easy win, but the U.S. Virgin Islands had one last comeback in trying to get its first victory.
Cuthbert Victor, who played at Murray State, scored 12 points in a 16-2 run by the U.S. Virgin Islands that made it 87-84 with 2:01 left. Brazil was able to hold on by making six of eight free throws the rest of the way, with Barbosa going 4-for-6 and getting the rebound of one of his misses.
Barbosa didn't think he and his teammates were looking ahead to Sunday's matchup with the United States.
"No. I don't think it was about that," he said. "I think we lost a little bit of focus. I think we were thinking that the game was going to be easy and it's not that way."
Victor finished with 25 points for the U.S. Virgin Islands, which completes the first round on Sunday against Venezuela (0-3). The loser of that game will be the only team from Group B not to advance to the second round.
Despite the tough third quarter, the U.S. Virgin Islands shot 51 percent from the field (33-for-65) and was 6-for-13 on 3s. The team committed eight of 18 turnovers in the third quarter, the only part of the game it struggled offensively.
Barbosa should have a much tougher time scoring against the United States, the dominant defensive team of the tournament with the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Tayshaun Prince ready to guard him plus Mike D'Antoni, his coach with the Suns, is an assistant with the U.S. team here.
"They have as complete a player as there is in this tournament in Leandro Barbosa especially the way they use him," U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said Saturday. "They're a top-flight team and we respect them."
Barbosa knows there is a lot left in this tournament besides the matchup of early unbeatens.
"Whatever happens tomorrow, it happens," he said. "Forget about that and just keep our focus for the couple of other games. After tomorrow I think is when the tournament is going to start."
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The win sets up Sunday's meeting of unbeatens as Brazil (3-0) faces the United States (3-0) on the final day of the first round. The winner will be the top seed from the five-team group heading into the four-game second round. The top two finishers in the 10-team tournament earn berths in the Beijing Olympics.
Barbosa, who plays for the Phoenix Suns, came into the game averaging 22.5 points, including a 30-point performance in the opening win over Canada. Barbosa was one of four players to have scored 30 points in a game before turning in the top effort of the tournament.
The U.S. Virgin Islands (0-3) was setting up the biggest upset of the tournament when it took a 45-33 lead with 2:10 left in the second quarter, and was still ahead 48-41 at halftime.
Brazil finally found its shooting touch and starting playing some defense in a dominant third quarter in which it outscored the U.S. Virgin Islands 31-15, going 4-for-5 from 3-point range after missing eight of nine shots from there in the first half.
Brazil increased the lead to 83-68 with 8:44 to go on a driving layup by Alex Garcia and appeared to be on the way to an easy win, but the U.S. Virgin Islands had one last comeback in trying to get its first victory.
Cuthbert Victor, who played at Murray State, scored 12 points in a 16-2 run by the U.S. Virgin Islands that made it 87-84 with 2:01 left. Brazil was able to hold on by making six of eight free throws the rest of the way, with Barbosa going 4-for-6 and getting the rebound of one of his misses.
Barbosa didn't think he and his teammates were looking ahead to Sunday's matchup with the United States.
"No. I don't think it was about that," he said. "I think we lost a little bit of focus. I think we were thinking that the game was going to be easy and it's not that way."
Victor finished with 25 points for the U.S. Virgin Islands, which completes the first round on Sunday against Venezuela (0-3). The loser of that game will be the only team from Group B not to advance to the second round.
Despite the tough third quarter, the U.S. Virgin Islands shot 51 percent from the field (33-for-65) and was 6-for-13 on 3s. The team committed eight of 18 turnovers in the third quarter, the only part of the game it struggled offensively.
Barbosa should have a much tougher time scoring against the United States, the dominant defensive team of the tournament with the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Tayshaun Prince ready to guard him plus Mike D'Antoni, his coach with the Suns, is an assistant with the U.S. team here.
"They have as complete a player as there is in this tournament in Leandro Barbosa especially the way they use him," U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said Saturday. "They're a top-flight team and we respect them."
Barbosa knows there is a lot left in this tournament besides the matchup of early unbeatens.
"Whatever happens tomorrow, it happens," he said. "Forget about that and just keep our focus for the couple of other games. After tomorrow I think is when the tournament is going to start."
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
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