Rose played almost 14 minutes in the Americans’ 112-86 win, finishing with six points and looking sharp in delivering four assists — all of which yielded 3-pointers. When he made his debut with Team USA over the weekend in Chicago, Rose played 24 minutes.
“He looked great,” U.S. center Anthony Davis said. “He was quick, he was throwing cross-court passes.”
Another player who has dealt with injury during the run-up to the World Cup, DeMarcus Cousins, also returned to the floor, scoring eight points in 12 minutes. He was impressed by Rose. “Derrick looked good,” Cousins said. “We’re all excited to see him back, happy to have him back.”
Team USA still has not set its roster — which needs to be cut from 16 to 12 before the World Cup starts on August 30 — as it heads into its final exhibition, against Slovenia on Tuesday in Gran Canaria, Spain. Players indicated that they will be informed about the cuts in the morning.
While those decisions have not been made official, it is notable that the four players (Damian Lillard, Andre Drummond, Gordon Hayward and DeMar DeRozan) who did not play on Friday are considered the four most likely cuts.
