Team USA and Spain showed once again why they are considered favorites in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup after dominating their respective opponents on Wednesday.
USA cruised to a dominating 106-71 win against Dominican Republic in their Group C match at the Bizkaia Arena in Bilbao, tallying their fourth win in as many games in the tournament.
Kenneth Faried had another solid performance as he finished with 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field, while DeMarcus Cousins also had an outstanding night as he racked up 13 points, seven steals, five rebounds, and two assists.
DeMar Derozan had 11 points to go along with three steals and two rebounds, while Anthony Davis and James Harden added 10 points each for USA, who dominated starting in the second period.
Dominican Republic, who are coming off a big 74-68 win against Finland on Tuesday, managed to stay within striking distance in the first period that ended with the Americans on top by just three points.
However, USA flexed their muscles in the second quarter to take and 56-41 lead at the half and led by 29 points heading into the final period en route to the win.
USA will close out their Group C campaign against Ukraine on Thursday, while Dominican Republic will go up against Turkey in a crucial group stage match.
Meanwhile, Spain clinched the top spot in Group A with an easy 88-64 win over defending European champions France at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes in Granada.
Marc Gasol led the host with 17 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals. Pau Gasol finished with 15 points, Juan Carlos Navarro had 14 points, while Serge Ibaka posted 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks for Spain, who remained perfect in four games.
Brazil also scored 81-73 win against Serbia to improve their chances of finishing second in Group A, while Iran scored their first win in the tournament, beating Egypt, 88-73.
Spain will look to make it five-straight when they face Serbia on Thursday, while France will battle Iran for the right to advance to the round of 16.
Complete 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup results, scores, and schedule are available here, while match highlights can be seen through this link.
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