Ex-Warriors forward and G League United fall flat in ugly Intercontinental Cup Final
Juan Toscano-Anderson's hopes of another championship were dashed on Sunday, with the former Golden State Warriors forward and G League United soundly beaten in the Final of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
The 2022 NBA champion and his team were competitive in the first-half, but an ugly offensive display over the final 20 minutes saw Spanish side Unicaja run away with a 75-60 victory in Singapore.
Former Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson and G League United produced a rough offensive display in the Intercontinental Cup Final on Sunday
G League United had won their way through to the Final after a nail-biting win over the Tasmania JackJumpers on Saturday after free-throws put them in front with just seconds remaining.
Toscano-Anderson entered Sunday's Final averaging 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists across the two group games, having shot 35% (7-of-20) from the floor but 50% (4-of-8) from three-point range.
The 31-year-old played all 10 first-quarter minutes, yet didn't post his first points till late in the period when he drove from the perimeter and finished nicely on a fadeaway jump-shot from just inside the free-throw line.
He would have an embarrassing moment upon return in the second-quarter, blowing a wide open dunk after stepping into the passing lane for a steal. Toscano-Anderson would make up for it minutes later, nailing a corner three before a sweet floater shortly after.
The 6'7" forward finished the first-half with an equal team-high seven points and three rebounds on 3-of-6 shooting, but United found themselves down 38-32 thanks to 11 points from Unicaja center Dylan Osetkowski.
United didn't score until five minutes into the third-quarter, allowing their opponent to go on a 9-0 run in the process. The issues remained for Toscano-Anderson and his team, finding themselves down 57-44 at the end of the third period with 'JTA' unable to add to his scoring tally.
If things couldn't get any worse, United went over six minutes without scoring to start the fourth-quarter as the Unicaja lead ballooned out to 21. Toscano-Anderson's night finished with three minutes remaining, having recorded seven points, four rebounds and one assist in just over 30 minutes while shooting 3-of-11 from the floor and 1-of-4 from three-point range.
United poured in some points late but it was little consolation, having produced a rather ugly offensive performance in the 75-60 defeat. They shot 32.4% from the floor and 27.6% from three-point range, with Toscano-Anderson unable to add another championship following his triumph with the Warriors in 2022.