US national team player Mikal Bridges spoke after the quarterfinal game against Italy at the FIBA World Cup.
Bridges was pleased with how his team played in the convincing victory over Italy, securing their place among the top four teams.
“We established control, the second unit did a good job. We played all 40 minutes, we didn’t hesitate. The coach prepared us, and we were ‘hungry’,” Bridges emphasized.
Bridges also discussed his offensive performance. With 24 points, he was the top scorer in the game.
“I just stayed aggressive. Honestly, I focused on rebounding. I had an issue with that. I have confidence. It doesn’t matter how many points we score; we are all capable of scoring. We have ‘dogs’ in the locker room, they can contribute, play defense, make shots… Look at the players I’m playing with; they are all stars on their teams. We are ready for anything.”
The US national team player also reflected on what is the most challenging aspect of adapting to FIBA basketball.
“The rules regarding traveling and a bit more physical play, but when you adapt, it’s okay. It’s just that you need to get the ball down very quickly when driving, which we have a bit of a problem with,” Mikal Bridges stated.
The USA will play in the semifinals against the winner of the Germany–Latvia matchup.
With their victory over the “Azzurri,” the Americans also did a favor to Serbia. If Canada were to defeat Slovenia, it would secure Serbia’s direct qualification for the Olympic Games, as one of the top two European teams at the global event.