Golden State Warriors’ Lester Quinones forced to come off the bench against Angola
After unproductive performances in the Dominican Republic’s opening two World Cup games, Golden State Warriors’ guard Lester Quinones was forced to come off the bench in his team’s final group game against Angola on Tuesday.
It was hardly a surprising decision from head coach Nestor Garcia, with Quinones playing just 19 seconds in the final three-quarters of the Dominican Republic’s second game against Italy on Sunday.
Golden State Warriors’ guard Lester Quinones made a bright start but ultimately struggled again in the Dominican Republic’s third World Cup group game.
The 22-year-old entered the ball game with 3:25 left in the opening period, making an immediate impact by getting to the free-throw line on three occasions in the next five offensive possessions and making a two-point jumpshot (his first field-goal for the tournament) in between.
Quinones would have seven points within his first two-and-a-half minutes on the floor, but unfortunately that was it scoring-wise for the combo guard whose shooting struggles continued over the remainder of the game.
Quinones would play just over 16 minutes — nearly double the time he played against Italy — finishing 1-for-7 from the floor, 0-for-5 from three-point range, and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. He added three rebounds but also recorded three turnovers and was a -4 in the Dominicans 75-67 victory.
The Warrior two-way player has now combined to score just 11 points through the three group games, shooting 1-for-14 (7.1%) from the field, 0-for-10 from three-point range, and 9-for-11 (81.8%) from the free-throw line. He’s also yet to record an assist amid a total of five turnovers in his little over 40 minutes of play.
Despite Quinones’ struggles, the Dominicans have qualified top of Group A with a 3-0 record. Their victory over Angola also came largely without NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, with the 27-year-old limited to just eight points in 15 minutes due to early foul trouble.
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Quinones will have another opportunity in the knockout stage, though the gametime Garcia affords him is sure to be limited based on his lacklustre form throughout the group stage.