USA beat Chile 89 to 71 in the World Cup on Wednesday night. The visitors improved to four wins from five matches, while the hosts dropped to one victory from their last five outings.
Chile's shooting was well below par from the outset. They managed just 31 field goals from 81 attempts, and their three-point work was particularly poor at seven from 37. To be fair, they made up for it at the free-throw line, converting both attempts they had, though that hardly mattered in the context of the game.
The Americans were far more efficient. Thirty-three goals from 64 shots, and eleven three-pointers from 23 attempts. They relied heavily on the charity stripe, hitting 12 of 18 free throws to make up the difference. And here's the thing — they didn't need to work for it. Chile's 16 personal fouls gave the visitors plenty of opportunities.
Rebounding told a slightly different story. Chile grabbed 14 offensive boards compared to nine for the USA, keeping possessions alive. They also recorded ten steals to two, showing energy in transition. By then the scoreboard was already well beyond reach.
USA's defensive work was more disciplined. They secured 32 defensive rebounds and committed only ten fouls, while Chile's 16 fouls and 10 turnovers cost them rhythm. The assist margin was clear — 20 to 17 — reflecting better ball movement from the visitors.
This result puts USA top of their group with 22 points from five games. Chile sit fourth with 11 points and have work to do if they want to progress. The gap is clear, and it wasn't closed.
