FIBA World Cup Recap: Which Jazz Player Made it to the Semi-Finals?

Utah Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio has stood out thus far in the FIBA World, but on Tuesday, Team USA overwhelmed Italy from start to finish, 100-63.

Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Mikel Bridges and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton were Team USA’s leading scorers with 24 and 18 points, respectively. Fontechhio led Italy in scoring with 18 points in a losing cause.

Team USA had been having problems getting beat on the boards as of late but had no problem cleaning the glass against a team that boasted only one NBA player. On Saturday, Lithuania outrebounded Team USA 43-27, but head coach Steve Kerr’s group flipped the script in Tuesday’s win, 51-33.

Despite the loss, Fontecchio appears to be on the right track as we approach training camp. The second-year Jazzman averaged 18.3 points in the World Cup and is showing he’s not just a three-point shooter, scoring in a variety of different ways.

As for Kessler, getting quality minutes on the court continues to be a struggle. The 7-foot center played ten minutes when the game was out of reach and contributed four points and five rebounds.

Moving forward, Kerr is determined to keep Kessler on the bench no matter what the matchup presents. Even against Lithuania, Kessler only played six minutes, with Team USA getting dominated in the paint.

Next up for Kessler and Team USA will be facing the winner of the Germany-Lithuania matchup.

Also, Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk plays Slovenia in a knockout game for Team Canada on Wednesday.

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