In their first tune-up game towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Nigeria’s men’s national basketball team, D’Tigers, sounded a note of warning to their Group B adversaries with a 90-87 win over a star-studded U.S. team.
Nine years after an 83-point loss to the USA at the 2012 London Olympics, the Tokyo-bound Nigerian team, under the tutelage of Mike Brown, again pitted their wits against a USA team who are angling for a fifth consecutive gold medal. But this time, they got a first-ever win over the USA.
Adebayo got the first basket of the match and Vincent replied with his first three-pointer of the game. The first half swung in both directions but the first half ended 43-41 with the USA ahead but the highlight of the half was a block on Durant by Achiuwa as the Brooklyn Nets forward powered to the rim. It was D’Tigers shot making from three-point range that helped get the win. The team outscored the Americans 20-18.
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Jerry Colangelo, the managing director of USA basketball for the last 16 years, said at the halftime interview, “Nigeria has come a long way. They can all shoot the ball pretty damn well. They are aggressive and they are playing really well, and that is a tribute to them.”
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