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The Dominican Republic appeared to be shortchanged by the home plate umpire, who proceeded to call two questionable third strikes on Juan Soto and Geraldo Perdomo — with Perdomo's at-bat being the last of the game — en route to a 2-1 win for Team USA, who are now headed to the WBC final. After the game, the Knicks star, who has represented Dominican Republic in FIBA competition, expressed his disagreement over the way his home country was knocked out of the WBC in animated fashion “Hell yeah, that was a ball, man! That was some bulls**t. They should have had a chance. They had Tatis Jr. coming up. Come on, man,” Towns told reporters, via Knicks Videos on SNY on X (formerly Twitter).
In a 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying game Thursday night, USA Basketball lost to the Dominican Republic, 87-79. It was the U.S.’s second loss ever to the Dominicans in men’s basketball, and first since 1989. The Americans trailed by as many as 19 and never led. Yes, a U.S. men’s basketball team did not hold a lead in an international game. “Now I am very happy because every player that comes to the (Dominican Republic) national team, they feel love for this country, for this flag,” Dominican coach Nestor Garcia said. “In our country, the people support us. This is for the Dominican people.”
FIBA Basketball World Cup 🏆: USA closing the gap! 🔥😤 #FIBAWC x #StepItUp
USA closing the gap! 🔥😤#FIBAWC x #StepItUp pic.twitter.com/J2hUWRJADD
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 🏆 (@FIBAWC) February 27, 2026
Towns is in a gray area because he was born and raised in the United States but has represented the Dominican Republic in the Olympics and other competitions. Towns’ mother is from the D.R. According to an announcement last month from the NBA, “If the All-Star voting does not result in the selection of 16 U.S. players and eight international players (which can include American players with ties to other countries if necessary), then NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select additional All-Stars to join either group to reach that minimum.”
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Towns has plans to donate his money to help the people of the Dominican Republic. Towns, who was born in New Jersey but plays internationally for the Dominican Republic because of his late mother’s roots, has earned approximately $300 million in NBA salary. “Honestly, I’ll probably give it to the Dominican Republic,” Towns said. “They have ‘Go Sports’, ‘Go Ministries’ over there. I feel very confident knowing the money will go over there and take care of the kids in the D.R. I would love to win so I can give them more money and help the community over there.”
Beauchamp is too young and, arguably, too talented for that to be his fate. He is weighing European offers while waiting/hoping an NBA team calls. It’s neither likely, nor impossible, that Beauchamp is available for the next qualifying window, when the U.S. plays two games just north of San Diego against the Dominican Republic and Mexico on the border of February and March. If he should happen to suit up again for the Americans, Beauchamp would continue to exhibit the advice pressed upon him for most of his NBA career to date by a player you may have heard of, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was Beauchamp’s teammate in Milwaukee until the Bucks traded him last February to the Clippers for Kevin Porter Jr. Beauchamp said Giannis “is a big brother to me,” and “he’s the one who told me to be assertive, be aggressive, and every time I get on the floor, I gotta go make something happen.”
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“We’re all looking at the next generation and enjoying the cookouts in the same backyard with the same basketball hoop I was playing with when I was dreaming of being an NBA player,” Karl-Anthony Towns told The Post. “And for my Dominican culture and my family, it hit me in a way that it’s like, these cookouts that I haven’t been around for, for a decade-plus, I have a chance to make them now.” Towns, a product of Piscataway, never lived in the Dominican Republic. His Spanish is spotty, at best. But the center’s link to the community is powerful and mutual, solidified by a decision to represent the Dominican national team despite overtures from powerhouse Team USA.
His mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, died from COVID-19 at just 60 years old in April 2020. She was responsible for not only the Dominican bloodline, but also exposing Towns to the culture that was important to his decision to represent the nation at the 2023 World Cup. Just last month, Towns announced plans to build a basketball facility in his mother’s hometown of Santiago. He called it a tribute to Jacqueline. “She was such an amazing lady. She was wonderful. She is what you would call a true Dominican mom, with all the whistles,” said Felipe Lopez, the former St. John’s star who met the Towns family over a decade ago.