THE wake-up call that five-time champion United States needed in the FIBA World Cup 2023 came in a no-bearing loss to Lithuania last Sunday.

Italy bore the brunt two days later.

Brooklyn Nets guard Mikal Bridges finished with a team-high 24 points as the United States dominated Italy, 100-63, in their quarterfinal showdown at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the three-point area, and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves contributed 12 points, four rebounds and three assists for the Americans, who are now safely in the semifinals four years after a disastrous seventh-place finish in the 2019 edition in China.

5he Steve Kerr-mentored United States will now wait for the winner of the Germany-Latvia quarterfinal match for the right to play in the gold medal game on Sunday.

For Italy, the 37-point setback was their worst loss in a global tournament — the World Cup or the Olympics — in nearly 55 years. The last time the Italians lost a game this badly was in the 1968 Mexico Olympics where they lost 61-100 also to the United States.

“It was our best defensive effort of the tournament to this point, and that’s what it’s going to take to win two more gamed.,” said Kerr.

“You always wanna respond to a loss with a competitive effort, and the joy and competitiveness go hand in hand when you compete and play with that kind of force and energy.”

Unlike in their shock 104-110 setback to the Lithuanians in their round-of-16 encounter, the Americans played business as usual.

Offensively, 11 of 12 players fielded in by Kerr managed to contribute in the scoring parade with Jalen Brunson adding nine points and Brandon Ingram and American-Italian Paolo Banchero contributing eight points apiece.

So well-rounded was the scoring attack for the Americans that Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, the team’s leading scorer with 20.2 points a game, managed only three points on 1-of-3 shooting in 18 minutes.

Overall, the Americans finished with 36-of-67 shooting for 53.7 percent, including 17-of-36 from the three-point region for 47.2 percent.

Bridges went 8-of-11 for 72 percent.

Except in the fourth quarter, the Americans outscored the Italians in the first three period — 24-14, 22-10, and 37-20.

The Americans also made their presence felt on the defensive end.

After allowing the Lithuanians to make their first nine three-point shots on the way to the upset victory, the Americans clamped down on defense right in the opening minutes and did not let up until the final buzzer.

In the end, they limited the Italians to a dismal 23-of-75 shooting for only 30.7 percent shooting from the field and 7-of-38 for only 18.4 percent on 3-pointers.

Simone Fontecchio finished with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, five rebounds and two steals for Italy, which failed to duplicate their semifinal finish in the 1978 edition also held in Manila.

That successful 1978 performance in Manila included one of Italy’s only two victories over the United States in 14 times in the World Cup.

Despite the loss, the Italians are guaranteed of a top eight finish, which is an improvement of their 10th-place finish in 2019. I

I will also be Italy’s best World Cup showing since finishing sixth in 1998.

“Everybody in the world was thinking that we have no chance to win this game. There is one little animal that cannot fly, but it doesn’t know it, so it flies. Bumblebee. We cannot fly, but we didn’t know. And my players did it. That’s amazing. They didn’t deserve to play against the United States, because my players were first in their group. That’s sport.” said Italy head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco.

Earlier in the day, Atlanta Hawks star Bogdan Bogdanovic scattered 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting and Filip Petruse added 17 points, six rebounds and two assists as world No. 6 Serbia defeated Lithuania, 87-68, to reach the semifinals.

Serbia will now wait for the winner of the Canada-Slovenia encounter.

The scores:

USA (100) – Bridges 24, Haliburton 18, Reaves 12, Brunson 9, Banchero 8, Ingram 8, Portis Jr 7, Hart 5, Kessler 4, Edwards 3, Jackson Jr 2, Johnson 0
Italy (63) – Fontecchio 18, Tonut 11, Spissu 8, Melli 5, Ricci 5, Diouf 4, Severini 4, Procida 4, Datome 3, Polonara 1, Pajola 0, Spagnolo 0
Quarterscores: 24-14, 46-24, 83-44 100-63