By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The USA Men’s national basketball team just passed their first Paris Olympics test with flying colors after taking down Nikola Jokic and Serbia, 110-84, on July 28, 2024.
After a cold start when they only produced two points in the first three minutes of the first quarter, Team USA began to pick up their shooting touch following a Stephen Curry three-pointer and never looked back in the game.
USA was in trouble after trailing early in the game, 10-2, but a late offensive rally led by LeBron James helped the Americans recover heading into the next frame when they snatched away the lead, 25-20.
Kevin Durant was instrumental during Team USA’s insane first-half run, tallying 21 points in just eight minutes built from a perfect 8/8 shooting from the field.
Despite not playing with the team during their whole USA Basketball showcase tune-ups due to an injury, the veteran national hoops player came to play and spearheaded the massive avalanche the Americans needed to widen the gap after the first half, 58-49.
Durant went unconscious from the field as soon as Team USA head coach Steve Kerr inserted him in the final three minutes of the first quarter.
The current Phoenix Suns star small forward torched the Serbians with his efficient shooting and couldn’t miss from downtown, connecting on a stellar 5/5 from deep.
With the Americans needing a morale-boosting basket in the final three seconds of the second frame, Kerr designed a floppy curl play for Durant who knocked down the fading right baseline jumper that gave team USA added confidence when the second half kicked off.
It was then all Team USA in the last two quarters as their depth and ability to score in spurts proved to be too much for the Serbians who struggled every time former NBA MVP Jokic was taken out of the game.
Serbia never trimmed their deficit to as low as five points during the whole second half and could only watch the revamped Team USA display their shot-making prowess in front of their French fans.
James was in the zone against Serbia and tallied a near triple-double stat line in his Olympic comeback, contributing 21 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds for the Americans.
Meanwhile, Durant ended the emphatic win with 23 markers while the duo of Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker had 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Up next for the heavily favored Team USA squad is South Sudan, the team that almost beat them during their USA Basketball showcase on August 1, 2024.
