What we learned as Steph fuels Team USA’s showcase win vs. Canada

What we learned as Steph fuels Team USA’s showcase win vs. Canada originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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LAS VEGAS – The first look at this year’s version of Team USA Men’s Basketball for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics began ugly before turning the volume to dominance and hanging on for an 86-72 win against Canada at the T-Mobile Arena to open their slate of exhibition games.

Team USA trailed 21-14 after the first quarter where they turned the ball over eight times, had only three assists and were 1 of 7 from 3-point range. The second quarter was a different story, giving Team USA a 41-33 lead. They held a 14-point lead after three quarters, going up 69-54 for the final 10 minutes of play.

Steph Curry led Team USA out of the tunnel for pre-game warmups and was the first to make a shot for the home squad. Adjusting to a different ball, new dimensions and FIBA rules, Curry was off his game in the first half. Coming out of the break, Curry found his rhythm and had a packed house roaring.

Star power shined even brighter on the sidelines. President Barack Obama watched the entire game. Past stars of Team USA Men’s and Women’s Basketball were honored. Legends galore took in the first glimpse of what should be a memorable summer with more tests to come.

Here are three takeaways from Team USA’s exhibition win against Canada.

Steph show

An extremely slow start shooting the ball for the Americans promptly came to an end when Curry sank a 3-pointer off a pick-and-roll with Anthony Davis. Team USA was down 11-1 at the time, and there were only five-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Those three points were all Curry scored in the first half. Once the second half began, Curry started heating up.

Curry scored Team USA’s first nine points of the third quarter, first hitting a three right in front of longtime Warriors nemesis Dillon Brooks. The Golden State superstar then finished a smooth three-point play at the basket, posing on the ground for fans, and followed that up by splashing a three from left corner.

With Team USA up 76-65 and a little over two minutes left in the game, Curry and…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/learned-steph-fuels-team-usas-050214030.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-07-11 05:02:14

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