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Curry, Team USA cruise past Mexico, advance to FIBA quarterfinals

Jesse D. Garrabrant / Getty Images

Team U.S.A. jumped on Mexico early on Saturday and never looked back, en route to an 86-63 victory in their Round of 16 matchup to advance to the knockout phase of the FIBA World Cup.

A missed Mexico layup in the game's opening seconds was a sign of things to come, as the Americans ran out to a 13-2 lead just over four minutes into the contest, while Mexico went on to shoot 38.9 percent from the field.

Stephen Curry led the way for Team USA, scoring 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, which included a spectacular 6-of-9 performance from beyond the arc. The Americans shot over 44 percent from deep as a team, with Klay Thompson (15), James Harden (12), DeMarcus Cousins (11) and Rudy Gay (10) rounding out the five American players to score in double figures.

At one point in the fourth quarter, the U.S. held a 37-point lead at 75-38.

Big man Gustavo Ayon was the lone bright spot for Mexico, pouring in 25 points to go with seven rebounds, two steals and a block. If there was one concern for Team USA, it was the continued rust Derrick Rose is playing through, as the Bulls point guard was held scoreless and is now shooting 8-of-37 (21.6%) for the tournament.

The U.S. will now play Slovenia, who beat the Dominican Republic on Saturday, in the quarterfinals.

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