The U.S. has changed dramatically since he flew for the Ant-Man national team

 The U.S. has changed dramatically since he flew for the Ant-Man national team

The U.S. won the warm-up match against Puerto Rico. 

The U.S. men's national basketball team, led by head coach Steve Kerr, won 117-74 in a warm-up match against Puerto Rico at T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the 8th (Korea Standard Time). 

The U.S. has made many changes by organizing most of the national team's lineup with new faces. Kevin Durant, Damien Lillard, Devin Booker, and Jason Tatum, who were members of the Tokyo Olympics gold medal, were left out, and Anthony Edwards, Michal Bridges, Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brunson, Tyris Halliburton and Austin Reeves joined.

The first half of the U.S. was somewhat disappointing, but it overwhelmed Puerto Rico after showing off its hot firepower in the third quarter. Anthony Edwards of Minnesota was the most outstanding player. Edwards, who led the U.S. attack flow in the third quarter, entertained fans by showing cool dunks and blocks based on his athletic ability.  

In the U.S., where many other players scored in addition to Edwards, Michal Bridges (Brooklyn) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis) also played their part in both offense and defense. Austin Reeves (Lakers) performed well on the bench, and Cam Johnson (Brooklyn) also scored a lot in the second half. At the end of the game, Tyris Halliburton (Indiana)'s passing ability was remarkable. 

The U.S. has set up a starting lineup with Jaylen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, Michal Bridges, Brandon Ingram, and Jaren Jackson Jr. It is a lineup of resources with explosive power as the balance of offense and defense is harmonized.

The U.S. opened the door with Jaren Jackson Jr. reporting his first goal with an under-the-goal attack. Since then, he has struggled with Puerto Rico's counterattack and has changed the flow to Anthony Edwards' fast-attack dunk while scoring poorly. The U.S., which boosted its concentration, finished the first quarter 27-21 with Reeves and Ingram helping with Jackson taking the center stage

In the second quarter, the U.S., which took out another lineup and started an experiment, failed to hit and allowed Puerto Rico to chase. However, Reeves led the attack and changed the mood, and based on this, he defended the lead. The United States, where Edwards and Bridges dunked one after another, finished the first half 50-43. 

In the second half, the U.S. beat Puerto Rico with Ingram's three-point shot after Brunson scored as a midrange jumper. Puerto Rico also did not retreat easily, but the U.S. cut the flow with Brunson's rim attack and Bridges' steal. 

Since then, the U.S. has run away from home and abroad, with scorer Edwards showing off his presence. Bobby Portis and Cam Johnson scored alternately, increasing the score gap to more than 20. The third quarter ended with the United States leading by 84-61.

The U.S. offensive continued in the fourth quarter. The U.S., backed by bench units, ran 92-61 with Halliburton and Johnson collaborating on a fantastic Allieup Dunk. Puerto Rico, which suffered a 20-0 scoring run, managed to get out of the void with a jumper from Tremont Waters, but the U.S. responded immediately with Johnson's three-point shot and did not give up the gap.

The U.S., which boosted its defense concentration, blocked the opponent's score well in the remaining time and secured the victory. Puerto Rico, which lost its strength, was not enough to overcome the wall of the United States. The U.S. finished the game with Halliburton showing good assists in a row. 

After the first warm-up match, the U.S. will face Slovenia, Spain, and Greece to continue its efforts for the World Cup.