Khris Middleton scored 15 points, including the 2 free throws that iced the game, to lead the United States to a 93-92 win in overtime over Turkey in the 2019 FIBA World Cup on Tuesday.
The victory, their second in a row, assured the Americans of a spot in the 2nd round.
They join Australia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, France, and Lithuania.
Ahead 92-91 after a 3-point play by Cleveland Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman with 35 seconds remaining, Turkey had a chance to put the game away after the Americans were called for 2 fouls on separate plays.
But Dogus Balbay missed both his free throws badly after an unsportsmanlike foul on Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris, and Osman muffed his charities, too, off a foul by Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart.
In transition, Milwaukee Bucks swingman Middleton was fouled on the drive by Osman, before knocking down the game-winning free throws.
Celtics playmaker Kemba Walker added 14 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, and Boston teammate, forward Jayson Tatum, contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds before he was carried out of the floor on the final play because of an apparent injury.
Meanwhile, Brazil advanced in Group F by beating Greece 79-78, leaving reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. to play New Zealand for a ticket to the next round.
Turkey and the Czech Republic, which downed Japan 89-76, dispute the last Round-2 seat in Group E.
Australia, like Serbia, touted as a threat to the US, reached the second round with a Joe Ingles-inspired 81-68 victory over Senegal.
The Boomers defeated Canada in their opener in Group H — the so-called “Group of Death” — and recovered from an indifferent start to grind down Senegal with Utah Jazz forward Ingles one assist away from World Cup history.
Australia, who was not at its best, was 36-33 ahead at halftime after narrowly trailing a determined Senegal at the end of the first quarter.
Ingles, who acknowledged that the Australians were “rattled” by Senegal in the first half, was instrumental in the victory with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists — just one assist short of the first triple-double in World Cup history.
Patty Mills, the 31-year-old San Antonio Spurs guard, was also in the thick of it for the Boomers, drilling 22 points.
Coach Andrej Lemanis called Senegal the tallest team he had faced and said that his side had been “a little clunky at times” offensively.
“Senegal present some unique challenges with their overall size,” he said.
