SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Rodney Purvis scored 14 points, Xavier Silas had 13 and sparked the Americans’ strong start, and the U.S. beat Cuba 84-48 to remain unbeaten in qualifying for the 2019 Basketball World Cup.
The Americans raced to a 15-0 lead and improved to 3-0 in Group C.
Coach Jeff Van Gundy had to adjust to a new roster of G League players, with only two returning from the Americans’ first two games in November. But the new group came together quickly, particularly defensively, and limited the Cubans to 25 percent shooting.
Devin Williams finished with eight points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Under FIBA’s new qualifying format, teams are playing home-and-home games against teams in their region to earn places in the World Cup in China. That tournament will qualify seven teams for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
