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It was another interesting day at the World Cup on Day 4 as several teams advanced to the Second Round of the competition. Team USA, France, Australia, Brazil, and Lithuania all made it back-to-back wins to join Argentina, Italy, Poland, Russia, Serbia, and Spain in the Second Round of the World Cup.
While Team USA remains the favorite heading into Round 2, rival nations will be encouraged by their continued struggles after they narrowly avoided a shock defeat to Turkey earlier today. Plenty of individuals have also continued to use the World Cup as a platform to showcase their talents, and, after another intriguing day of action, here we will take a look at the top 5 individual performances from Day 4
#5 Blake Schilb
The Czech Republic showed plenty of grit and determination in their opening defeat to Team USA, and they eased to an easy win in Game 2 against Japan. Rui Hachimura, who was drafted 9th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards impressed for the Japanese with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, although it was Blake Schilb of the Czech Republic who shone brightest.
The American-born small forward played for just 26 minutes after starting from the bench, but only missed three of his eleven shots as he quickly reached 22 points. The 35-year-old was also on fire from deep, connecting with six of his seven attempts from three-point range in what was arguably the best outside shooting performance of the World Cup so far. Schilb also managed three rebounds and a block, and the Illinois native could play a larger role for the Czech Republic going forward.
#4 Corey Webster - New Zealand
The Tall Blacks fell to Brazil in their 2019 FIBA World Cup opener, and nothing less than a win would be good enough against Montenegro. And, while New Zealand struggled once more against the tournament debutants, the Tall Blacks managed to come away with a much-needed win thanks to an excellent offensive performance from Corey Webster.
Despite featuring for just 27 minutes, Webster managed to score 25 points while shooting more than 50% from the field. The 30-year-old was also hot from beyond the arc, connecting with six of his eight efforts from deep, and missed just one of his six attempts at the free-throw line. Webster also led New Zealand in assists (7) and gathered 6 rebounds on his way to a standout performance for the Tall Blacks.
#3 Anderson Varejao - Brazil
When Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece raced into an early double-digit lead, Brazil's hopes of advancing looked in doubt. However, the South Americans managed to defy the odds to come-back and stun Greece in a 79-78 thriller.
While the Greek Freak was restricted to just 13 points and 4 rebounds, Anderson Varejao excelled for the Brazilians. Marquinhos Sousa, Leandrinho Barbosa. and Alex Garcia all reached double figures, although Varejao led the way with 22 points in 33 minutes. The 36-year-old connected with 10 of his 17 attempts and scored several important baskets during Brazil's 26-13 run in the third quarter.
The former Cleveland Cavaliers star also led his team with 9 rebounds, and his performances will be vital as the Brazilians attempt to defy expectations over the next week of the World Cup.
#2 Joe Ingles - Australia
Australia entered the World Cup with lofty expectations after becoming the first team to beat Team USA for 13 years, and the Boomers have begun the tournament impressively. The Canadians were comfortably dispatched of in Game 1, and Australia secured back-to-back victories thanks to a strong second-half performance against a stubborn Senegal side.
Patty Mills was impressive as he led his team with 22 points, although Joe Ingles neared a triple-double in one of his best-ever performances for the Boomers. The Utah Jazz star finished with 17 points in his 33 minutes on the court and made 3 of his 4 attempts from three-point range. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, and made two blocks, and finished just one assist shy of securing a rare triple-double for his country.
#1 Ersan Ilyasova - Turkey
Ersan Ilyasova led Turkey to victory against Japan on Day 2 with 19 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block. Nevertheless, few expected the Milwaukee Bucks star to guide his nation past the pre-tournament favorites in Game 2, although another huge performance put the Turkish within seconds of a win.
During a thrilling match that went to overtime, Ilyasova contributed 23 points and 14 rebounds as Turkey fell to a 93-92 defeat. Ilyasova's tip-in of Cedi Osman's miss with 12.3 seconds left in the 4th had put his team in a position to win the game, although Jayson Tatum made two of his three free throws to send the game to overtime.
Ilyasova and his team eventually fell in overtime, however, the 32-year-old walked off the court as the best player, and Turkey will still advance if they beat the Czech Republic.
