FIBA World Cup 2019: Top 5 individual performances from Day 3
We are just three days into the 2019 FIBA World Cup, although the tournament continues to move at a rapid pace. During an action-packed Day 3 in China, six different nations qualified for the second round of the competition after winning back-to-back games.
Argentina, Italy, Poland, Russia, Serbia, and Spain all booked their place in the next round, and each nation will also be granted a place in the Olympic Qualifying tournament ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. With the likes of the USA and France also expected to qualify tomorrow, the Second Round of the World Cup is already gearing up to be extremely competitive.
Nevertheless, while it is easy to look ahead, there were once again plenty of standout performers, and here are the top 5 individual performances from Day 3 at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
#5 Ricky Rubio - Spain
This wasn't a vintage shooting performance from Ricky Rubio, although he dominated proceedings for Spain for the second game in succession. Despite being among the smallest players on the court, Rubio led the game in rebounds (8), and the point guard also recorded a steal.
From the field, Rubio connected with 5 of 12 attempts, while knocking down just 1 of his 4 attempts from beyond the arc. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old managed to frequently get to the free-throw line, and quietly recorded 17 points. Only Marc Gasol scored more for the Spaniards, and Rubio linked up well with his fellow NBA veteran.
While Rudy Fernandez led Spain in assists (6), Rubio also managed to dish out four of his own, and the Phoenix Suns star is quickly becoming one of the best players on show at the World Cup.