'Hillbilly Kobe' leads Team USA to blowout FIBA win

Two days after defeating New Zealand by 27 points, Team USA beat Greece by 28 points, clinching a trip to the second round of the FIBA World Cup. Reaves led the way with 15 points in a balanced scoring effort, where all 12 American players scored and nine different players had at least eight points.

Jalen Brunson made all five shots from the field and two from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points, while his New York Knicks teammate Josh Hart was 2-for-2 from the floor and the line and led all players with 11 rebounds. But it was the Lakers' Reaves who filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, a team-high six assists, five rebounds and two steals.

Reaves, nicknamed "Hillybilly Kobe," is part of an American bench unit that is crushing opponents. He and his backcourt partner in the second unit, the Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton, both were +19 in their respective minutes. Cameron Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets was also +19, a result of both the reserves' excellent ball movement and Team USA's overwhelming talent advantage over other teams' reserves.

The Lakers and Regular Kobe remain wildly popular in the Philippines. There are two banners in the Araneta Coliseum. One honors the famous "Thrilla In Manila" fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. The other honors Kobe's "Mamba Mentality Tour," where he did a basketball clinic at the arena after retiring from the NBA in 2016.

So it's not a surprise that the crowd in Manila went wild for Team USA's only Laker, especially since he's "Hillbilly Kobe."

The game clearly frustrated Greek coach Dimitrios Itoudis, who had a very animated and profane outburst on the sidelines that seems destined to become an internet meme.

Now Greece will face off against New Zealand for the right to advance to the second round. Unfortunately, the reward for the winner of that game is another date with Team USA. And their new scoring leader, Hillbilly Kobe.