World knocks off USA in Nike Hoop Summit

The 12th rendition of the Nike Hoop Summit took place Saturday night in the Rose Garden and the entertaining game was filled with posterizing dunks, massive blocks and a big upset as the World team was able to defeat their United States counterparts, 97-89.

Here are 15 things you should know about the game.

1. The world team was led by Milan Macvan, a 6-8, 258-pound power forward from Serbia. Macvan led the world side with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists. Macvan also provided the most important play of the game according to USA head coach John Olive.

The world team was holding a four point lead with 1:42 remaining in the game when Macvan hit a contested three pointer from the behind the NBA line as the shot clock was expiring. The shot was a backbreaker for the US squad.

Macvan’s physique and game seem like almost a carbon copy of Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Kevin Love. He has a great ability of getting a rebound and also passing out of a double team. In my opinion, Macvan was the most consistent player in Saturday’s game.

2. Many US players impressed on Saturday despite the loss. Xavier Henry, who is deciding between attending Kentucky, Kansas, and Memphis, knocked down six threes on his way to 22 points.

John Wall, who is deciding between N.C. State, Duke, Memphis, Baylor, Kansas, Miami and Kentucky, had the most rim-rocking dunk of the game, rising above his defender to slam it down emphatically in the middle of the third quarter. Wall finished the game with multiple highlight reel plays, 13 points, 11 assists, and five steals.

The other standout for the US squad was Texas-bound Avery Bradley. Bradley had 21 points and his lone assist came on an outstanding no-look, behind-the-back, touch pass which was unlike any pass I have ever seen in person.

3. Sometimes the best way to describe how a player played and looked Saturday is to compare him to a current NBA or college player. Here are some of those comparisons.

4. Xavier Henry’s game looked like Milwaukee Bucks all-star Michael Redd.

5. Avery Bradley’s game looked like former Arizona standout Jerryd Bayless.

6. John Wall mixed the athleticism and scoring ability of Syracuse star Jonny Flynn with the passing repertoire of NBA all-star Chris Paul.

7. Renardo Sidney, who is bound for USC, played the type of game UCONN fans are accustomed to seeing with Jeff Adrian.

8. World point guard Edwin Jackson’s game reminds most of his fellow countryman Tony Parker, complete with a money floater, but Jackson’s athleticism surpasses Parker.

9. Kevin Seraphin, the other French player in the game, had a game that was a hybrid between Hakeem Warrick and Rudy Gay.

10. Donatas Motiejunas closely resembled the college game of former Oregon star Luke Jackson.

11. Motiejunas drew jeers from the Portland crowd for what seemed like numerous flops. Despite his affinity for hitting the deck, Motiejunas had a great game for the world squad. The 18-year-old from Lithuania is listed as a center due to his height (seven feet) but he is clearly more comfortable facing the basket and driving to the rim.

His constants drives put him at the line 14 times in the fourth quarter alone. Motiejunas finished the game with 21 points. He is currently projected as a lottery to mid first round pick according to ESPN.com writer Chad Ford.

12. The world team outscored the US squad by a score of 36 to 19 in the fourth quarter of the game. This disparity was due to the world’s hot shooting and numerous offensive rebounds.

In fact, the US squad did not grab one defensive rebound in the entire fourth quarter.

13. The 11,246 in attendance shattered the game’s previous attendance record of the 6,200 that showed up in Indianapolis in 2000.

14. Despite the large crowd, the world team was not bothered by the fans.

“The atmosphere was kind of a come and see a lot of dunks. I think that the fans thought the US team would beat us by 20 and they were not expecting a close game,” Jackson said in the post game press conference.

15. It was just the third time in 12 games that the world team was able to defeat the US squad. World team head coach Rob Beveridge, who coaches basketball in his native Australia, was the world team head coach for the fifth time and summed up his thoughts after the game.

“It was a wonderful win for us. I felt early in the week that we had a team that could play well as a team and had a chance.”