Suffered a 20-point comeback defeat! USA men's basketball loses to Brazil, missing out on the Americas Cup final with a disastrous 9-34 collapse in the last quarter

On August 31st Beijing time, in the Americas Cup semifinal, the USA men's basketball team fell 77-92 to Brazil, enduring a 20-point comeback and missing the final. Galloway led the USA with 22 points, but the team's perimeter shooting was weak, making just 7 out of 27 three-point attempts, less than 26%. Meanwhile, Brazil took the same number of three-point shots but converted 4 more. The USA suffered a devastating 9-34 collapse in the final quarter, losing the period by 25 points.

Statistically, only three USA players scored in double digits: Galloway with 22 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists; Smart with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists; and Jerian Grant with 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. Brazil had four players in double figures: Santos with 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 12 assists; Capokolo with 20 points and 7 rebounds; Dias with 18 points and 13 rebounds; and DePaula with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.

During the first half of the game, the USA team performed well, starting with a 10-4 run and finishing the first quarter leading 23-20. In the second quarter, the USA extended their lead, going into halftime ahead 52-38, holding a 14-point advantage. In the third quarter, the USA even led by as much as 20 points and maintained a 10-point lead at the end of the period. However, the final quarter saw a dramatic shift as Brazil, trailing 65-75, went on a 27-2 run and ultimately won by 15 points. The last quarter score was 34-9, marking a severe collapse for the USA in the closing minutes.

Canada and Argentina will compete for the other semifinal spot, with the winner facing Brazil for the Americas Cup championship. The USA team has traditionally not prioritized the Americas Cup and did not send NBA stars to compete, so missing the final is not too surprising, though suffering a 20-point comeback defeat is somewhat unexpected.