Team USA finished the second quarter with a dominant 20-4 run and ran away with the victory. The victory meant the US would play against Brazil in the quarterfinal in Paris.
After a tough start to the game, Team USA turned on a higher gear in the second quarter and ultimately ran away with the win against Puerto Rico 104-83 (25-29, 39-16, 23-14, 17-24).
With the win, USA placed first in Group C and achieved the highest seed in the group stage. As such, Team USA will play against Brazil in the quarterfinal, who placed third in Group B.
Anthony Edwards had his best game of the Olympics, scoring a game-high 26 points on 11-for-15 shooting alongside 3 rebounds and 3 assists in just 17 minutes. Joel Embiid, who was benched in the previous game against South Sudan, scored 15 points on just 6-for-14 shooting.
LeBron James filled up the stat sheet with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists in his account. Kevin Durant scored 11.
Jose Alvarado was Puerto Rico's highest scorer, recording 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting in the matchup. Aleem Ford and Ismael Romero scored 10 points each.
Down by three in the first quarter (14-17), Puerto Rico goes on an 11-0 run in the 1st quarter to lead by eight (25-17). While the US answered with a couple of makes, the underdogs held a 4-point lead after the first quarter (29-25).
Steve Kerr called a timeout in the second quarter when the US was only up by three (44-41). Then, Team USA finished the quarter with a whopping 20-4 run and never looked back (64-45).
The second half was a mere formality, and Team USA celebrated the victory.
