The World Select Team ended a seven-game losing streak with a comeback 97-89 victory over the USA Junior National Select Team in the 12th annual Nike Hoop Summit before a record crowd of 11,246 in Portland (Ore.) Saturday night.
The World team, which was down nine points in the fourth quarter, still trails, 9-3, in the series. Six-foot-eight Milan Macvan, from Serbia, paced the winners with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Seven-foot Donatas Motiejunas of Lithuania scored 12 of his 21 points during the fourth-quarter rally.
Xavier Henry had a team-high 22 points for USA.
Photo courtesy of Sam Rorencick/USA Basketball
The USA, which was outrebounded, 48-29, was led by 6-6 MaxPreps All-American Xavier Henry with 22 points, including 6-of-11 from 3-point range. Another MaxPreps All-American, Avery Bradley, was right behind with 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting.
John Wall was spectacular with 13 points, 11 assists and five steals.
USA looked in command after a Henry 3-pointer and Bradley put down a fastbreak slam dunk, giving their team a 80-74 lead with 5:44 left.
From there, however, the World Team closed on a 23-9 run to secure the win, which equaled its highest-ever margin of victory.
"(Milan Macvan), he was the glue to that group," said USA head coach John Olive, from Torrey Pines High School in California. "I don't know if there was a key turning point, but whenever they needed something, he seemed to get it done."
Said Henry: “It was a tough game, back and forth all game. (The World Team) just played tougher than us the whole game. They got a ton of offensive rebounds. We had a lot of things we could of done better.”
Still, the experience was more than memorable Henry said.
“That was the biggest crowd I have ever played in front of,” he said. “Every time we scored or got a steal, it was the loudest crowd I had ever heard. It was a great atmosphere to play in.”
John Wall was spectacular in defeat for USA.
Photo courtesy of Sam Rorencick/USA Basketball
NOTES: The USA was hurt by poor free throw shooting, making just 7-of-16 from the charity strip. ... The World Team turned 25 offensive rebounds into 27 second-half points. ... Seven Hoop Summit records were tied or bettered. The international squad dished out a record 21 assists, while the U.S. team equaled its assists mark with 23. ... North Carolina-bound John Henson (Sickles HS, Tampa, Fla.) had 10 points and nine rebounds.
Senior writer Mitch Stephens contributed to this report.
