FIBA round of 16 preview: USA leads Barcelona bracket
The group stage of the FIBA World Cup is over and the top 16 teams have advanced to the single-elimination bracket. Team USA leads the way in the Barcelona-based half of the bracket. Tap here for a preview of the Madrid bracket.
Dominican Republic (2-3) vs. Slovenia (4-1), Saturday, 2 p.m. ET
Goran Dragic, the 2014 NBA Most Improved Player, brought his excellent form from the NBA season into an excellent group stage of the tournament. Dragic shot a blistering 60.7 percent from the field - including 45.5 percent from deep - to lead Slovenia to a 4-1 group stage record.
The balanced Slovenian attack should be favored over a Dominican side that relies heavily on Francisco Garcia to carry the scoring load. Garcia was the only Dominican player to average double figures, and the team averaged 15 fewer points per game than Slovenia.
If the Dominicans stand a chance to advance, they'll need to stop both Dragic brothers. Goran and his brother Zoran were one-two in team scoring in the group stage.
USA (5-0) vs. Mexico (2-3), Saturday, 10 a.m. ET
It goes without saying that the United States is favored to advance all the way to the finals, but this iteration of the national team is not without its warts.
Any lineup featuring James Harden, Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving is going to leak points, even with Anthony Davis lurking in the paint to disrupt shots. While they likely won't run into too much trouble against Mexico, a cold-shooting first half against Turkey proved that this squad is far from impenetrable.
The Americans have been lethal in transition, but haven't exactly been a well-oiled machine in halfcourt. Their superior size has erased a lot of their mistakes, and allowed them to collect an almost unfathomable 40 percent of their own misses. That number will dwindle as they progress and face teams with higher quality frontcourts such as Spain and Argentina.
New Zealand (2-3) vs. Lithuania (4-1), Sunday, 10 a.m. ET
The New Zealand Tall Blacks snuck out a two-point win over Finland to slip past the group stage and earn themselves a meeting with a Lithuanian team that featured the fifth-best point differential in the group stage.
Lithuania used a balanced attack and their excessive size to punish teams throughout the group stage, with NBA talents Jonas Valanciunas and Donatas Motiejunas leading the way on the glass and in the paint. Their blend of that young frontcourt and a veteran backcourt keyed by twin brothers Ksistof and Darjus Lavrinovic has focused on limiting opponents' transition chances and pounding the rock on offense.
New Zealand opened with three straight losses, and will need to continue their impressive run with their backs against the wall if they hope to survive. If not, we may see our last Haka of the tournament.
Turkey (3-2) vs. Australia (3-2), Sunday 2 p.m. ET
Australia may have angered the basketball gods after Goran Dragic accused them of tanking their final group-stage game against Angola.
Australian guard Joe Ingles has put himself on the NBA map with his performance in the tournament, and San Antonio Spurs forward Aron Baynes has handled the heavy lifting inside. He'll have his hands full while being matched up with Turkey's Omer Asik, who has been a calming presence on the glass and defense.