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The first round of the 2019 FIBA World Cup was completed yesterday, as 16 teams advanced to the next stage of the competition while the eliminated teams will continue in the Classification Round. Nevertheless, the relentless pace of the tournament continued on Day 7 as teams immediately resumed their campaigns in China.
The second-round kicked off with Poland's clash against Russia, and the Polish wasted no time in producing a shock result to continue its unbeaten start to the competition. After a 50-year absence from the World Cup, Poland is now on the verge of the quarter-finals and will advance by beating Argentina later this week.
Meanwhile, Serbia kept up their incredible form from the first round as they destroyed a lackluster Puerto Rico team, while Spain also recorded a tense win over European rivals Italy. So, with another day of action behind us, here we will look at the top 5 individual performances from Day 7 of the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
#5 Mikhail Kulagin - Russia
Russia eventually fell to Poland after a poor offensive fourth-quarter performance, although Mikhail Kulagin enjoyed his finest individual performance of the competition as he managed 21 points while shooting just under 45% from the field.
The CSKA Moscow star launched twelve three-pointers and connected with five, while also knocking down both his efforts from the free-throw line.
It was an excellent bounce-back performance by Kulagin following his underwhelming showing in Game 3 against Argentina, and the 25-year-old will have a key role to play in his country's future.
Nevertheless, Kulagin's performance was not enough to save his Russian team from elimination this time around, and they will close out their tournament against Venezuela on Sunday.
#4 Andray Blatche - Philippines
The Philippines have been woeful over the past week, although Andray Blatche has put in a series of excellent performances that continued in their latest defeat to Tunisia. The American born star managed 24 points in the 86-67 loss, while the Philippines' second-highest scorer (Troy Rosario) managed just 8 points.
Once again, Blatche shot well from the field despite being heavily guarded and connected with 10 of his 21 attempts. The 33-year-old also knocked down 3 of his 7 attempts from downtown and topped 10 rebounds for the third time in four games.
Blatche also managed a pair of steals and assists as the former Brooklyn Nets man demonstrated why he enjoyed a successful career in the NBA. Unfortunately, at 33, this is likely to be Blatche's final World Cup, and the Philippines must focus on developing young talent.
#3 Mateusz Ponitka - Poland
Poland made it four straight wins thanks to a late comeback against Russia. The Russians dominated for long periods, although after trailing for the majority of the game, Poland put together a fourth-quarter run to steal the win. Adam Waczynski scored 18, although it was Mateusz Ponitka that made the biggest impact.
The 26-year-old struggled from the field, but reached 14 points after connecting with all nine of his attempts from the free-throw line. Ponitka also led the way with 9 rebounds, while only Lukasz Koszarek bettered his tally of 3 assists.
On the defensive end, Ponitka came up with 3 steals and 1 block, and the Polish were 8 points better off with him on the court. Whether or not Poland can defeat a team such as Serbia remains to be seen, although Ponitka and his teammates continue to defy expectations.
#2 Facundo Campazzo - Argentina
Ahead of the World Cup, Real Madrid announced an extension to Facundo Campazzo's contract, although his performances in China have explained why several NBA teams continue to monitor his progress.
In his last outing, Campazzo recorded 21 points against the Russians, and the 27-year-old's all-round game was on show during Argentina's win over Venezuela.
While Gabriel Beck managed 25 points shooting 75% from the field, Campazzo controlled the tempo with his terrific playmaking skills and finished the game just one assist shy of a double-double.
Campazzo took just four shots to reach his 12 points and knocked down two of his three attempts from downtown. The guard continually fed the open Beck rather than drive to the basket on his own, and Argentina will need a similar unselfish performance from Campazzo when they face Poland.
#1 Nikola Jokic - Serbia
Bogdan Bogdanovic stole the show for Serbia during the opening round of the tournament, although the Sacramento Kings star struggled against Puerto Rico, scoring just five points. Nevertheless, Nikola Jokic enjoyed his best performance of the tournament as his team eased to another victory over Puerto Rico.
The Denver Nuggets star spent just 16 minutes on the court but managed 14 points and 10 rebounds. Jokic missed just two of his eight attempts from the field, and also made two blocks against a Puerto Rican team that struggled to stop his strength and power.
For the entire World Cup, Jokic is now 20-of-24 from the field and is fully rested after averaging 20 minutes per game. The All-Star will have a huge role to play in Week 2, and Serbia has a real shot at taking home the gold.
