Team USA Player Ratings vs Montenegro | Anthony Edwards stars yet again as Steve Kerr's team inflicts 85-73 loss on Montenegro at 2023 FIBA World Cup
Anthony Edwards has kept Team USA undefeated in the FIBA World Cup 2023, as the Americans rallied past Montenegro (85-73) to clinch a top-eight spot.
USA, with star forward Cameron Johnson not playing, struggled in the opening half, but took over in the second and outscored Montenegro 48-35 to seal the deal. The Montenegrin team tried its best to upset the Americans but eventually lost the game.
Here are Sportskeeda's Team USA player ratings after the win over Montenegro:
Anthony Edwards: A - Wolves star turned things around for Team USA
The Minnesota Timberwolves star was the main reason for his team's victory.
Despite his shooting struggles (7/16 shooting, 1/5 from beyond the arc), he gets the most credit for the victory after leading in scoring with 17 points.
Tyrese Haliburton, Malik Bridges, Jaren Jackson Jr. - B: Edwards' supporting cast
Tyrese Haliburton covered for Jalen Brunson's poor night with 10 points and six assists, giving Steve Kerr what he expected from his reserve point guard.
Mikal Bridges added 10 crucial points, while Jaren Jackson Jr. had 11 points on just five attempts (4/5). The trio acted as Edwards' supporting cast in the second half.
Paolo Banchero, Austin Reaves - B-: Consistent on both ends
Paolo Banchero doesn't see a lot of playing time, but was consistent in the 15 minutes he played with eight points, on 3/5 shooting, covering for the poor offensive day of Brandon Ingram (just two points).
Austin Reaves, meanwhile, had 12 points, nine of which came from the free-throw line and were important for his team. He could have played better, but his free-throw shooting benefited the team.
Josh Hart, Walker Kessler - B: Nothing spectacular
Josh Hart and Walker Kessler scored four points each, which contributed for Team USA off the bench.
Aside from that, they didn't have that much impact on the game.
Jalen Brunson, Bobby Portis, Brandon Ingram - C: Probably their worst performance in the FIBA World Cup
Jalen Brunson and Brandon Ingram struggled all game long.
They combined for just six points (4 and 2, respectively), on just 3/9 shooting, and didn't play much, with just 18 and 15 minutes, respectively, on the floor.
We expect Brunson to return to his usual standards Sunday vs Lithuania, as he is among USA's leaders, but Ingram continues to struggle and Kerr might decide to play another forward more.
Bobby Portis undeperformed as well, with just three points on 1/6 shooting. Even on a reserve role, he couldn't contribute and played only 10 minutes.
USA now shifts its focus to the game vs Lithuania on Sunday. A win there will hand it the top spot in the group heading into the quarter-finals, where it will take on either Italy, Serbia or the Dominican Republic.
Team USA has to play consistently moving forward, as a struggling performance like the one in the opening half, could cost it in the knockout stage.