Getty Team USA point guard Isaiah Thomas.
Team USA will play its last qualifying game for the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup on Saturday when they take on Mexico in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At 5-0, the United States has already clinched a spot in the 12-team tournament.
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In the United States, the game (5 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on regular TV anywhere, but you can watch USA vs Mexico live on ESPN+ right here:
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Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch the USA vs Mexico live on the ESPN app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via ESPN.com.
USA vs Mexico AmeriCup Qualifying Preview
Team USA triumphed on Friday in their first of two tests in San Juan, besting the Bahamas 93-77 behind 19-point efforts from guard Isaiah Thomas and forward James Nunnally.
I thought Isaiah (Thomas) got off to a quick start, a hot start,” head coach Joe Prunty said, according to USA Basketball. “He hit, I believe, three 3s pretty quickly there, got us an 11-2 lead. But the one thing we knew — this is a very talented Bahamas team. They have several players from the last two windows, that didn’t necessarily play together, but as a collective group is very talented, and they showed that tonight with their fight and how hard they played. So, they deserve credit. But I also like, with us, how we responded to several different situations that they threw at us, not only on the defensive end in making us execute, but also on the offensive end where we had to guard.”
Thomas shot 7-of-15 from the field and 5-of-9 from 3-point range. The 32-year-old free agent played nine seasons in the NBA before hip injuries derailed his career.
He finished fifth in MVP voting and earned an All-Star nod in 2016-17, when he averaged 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game as a member of the Boston Celtics.
Thomas underwent hip surgery in May 2020 and is looking for another shot in the league.
“The world knows I got what it takes. So, it’s just about showing that I’m healthy,” he said after the win, per USA Basketball. “My skill didn’t go anywhere. It was just about getting 100% healthy, which I am right now. So, this is definitely a showcase for me, not just for myself, but for, you know, everybody on this team to showcase that, you know, they can play and be able to get jobs around the world. So, you know, individually. Yes, I’m showing that, you know, I’m 100% healthy. I’m moving and I’m myself.”
Dakota Mathias, a guard who saw the floor for eight games as a Philadelphia 76ers rookie this season before being waived in January, scored 15 points to go with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and a block. Big man Brandon Bass, who played 12 seasons in the NBA before taking his talents overseas, amassed 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Seven-time NBA All-Star wing Joe Johnson, who last played in the NBA in 2017-18, added 11 points, 9 boards, and 6 assists.
“I genuinely love hooping,” the 39-year-old said ahead of the win over the Bahamas, according to The Associated Press. “Regardless, if it’s in the NBA or just playing with my son, it doesn’t matter.”