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Towns relishing Basketball World Cup role with perfect Dominicans / Photo: © AFP
Towns relishing Basketball World Cup role with perfect Dominicans
Karl-Anthony Towns said "the world is on notice" after the Minnesota Timberwolves star led the Dominican Republic to a perfect first-round record at the Basketball World Cup on Tuesday.
The American-born Towns, whose late mother was Dominican, was again influential as the Caribbean nation beat Angola 75-67 for their third win out of three in Manila.
Three-time NBA All Star Towns is the undisputed top dog in a team ranked 23rd in the world but he warned the rest of the competition not to underestimate them as they booked their place in the next round.
"We have a special team -- everyone counted us out, they didn't think we could be great," said the 27-year-old.
"But in practice with one of the best coaches in the world, we believed that we could do something amazing and I think that the world is on notice now."
Towns has a long history with the Dominican team, first appearing for them in 2012 as a 16-year-old.
He is back playing for his country after a 10-year absence and he is making his presence felt at the World Cup.
The Dominicans started with an 87-81 win over cohosts the Philippines before going on to beat Italy 87-82 in their second game.
Towns is averaging over 19 points a game and he chipped in with two crucial free shots late in the fourth quarter to help seal the win over Angola.
"People look at me for positivity, and I have to be able to give that regardless of if I'm playing or not," said Towns, who scored eight points in just over 15 minutes on the floor against the Africans.
"My mindset the whole game was this was a great moment to work on your leadership, to work on yourself.
"And when the game comes to a point where they need you win, I'll be there."
Towns said the World Cup was "one of the pinnacles of basketball", and he is having the time of his life with his Dominican teammates.
He called head coach Nestor Garcia "the best in the world" and said that playing for his country was "not about stats or awards".
"I want everyone who's been supporting us to know that we're not just doing this for ourselves and our families," he said.
"We're doing it for their families, we're doing it for our country, we're doing it for the mothers who gave us men a chance to live this dream."
P. da Silva--JDB
