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One of the most highly anticipated matchups of the Olympics didn’t quite live up to its expectations. After a slow start, Team USA surged to a dominant 110-84 win over Serbia. The strong start sets the team up well for the rest of the group stage, and gives it a confidence boost after a near-loss to South Sudan ahead of the games.
Despite trailing early, the U.S. came back largely due to 23 points from Kevin Durant, who returned after being sidelined for most of camp with a calf injury. Durant went a perfect 5 for 5 from beyond the arc and changed the dynamic of the game when he came on in the first quarter, scoring 21 points in the first half alone. LeBron James also had a dominant game with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
If only David Stern could’ve seen the show. The late NBA commissioner’s dream of growing the highest levels of basketball far outside of the United States’ borders couldn’t be more evident than the reigning, three-time NBA MVP heading into the opening game of his Olympics tournament to face Team USA. But Nikola Jokić couldn’t carry Serbia to victory on Sunday. The Denver Nuggets big man scored 20 points for his home nation, but could not make a dent in the United States’ second-half lead.
James, Durant and the rest of Team USA’s future Hall of Famers will continue on in Paris, facing South Sudan and Puerto Rico in the group stage. The team is looking for an eighth gold medal in nine tries since the Dream Team first featured NBA players at the Olympics in 1992.
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Final: USA 110, Serbia 84
The U.S. gets a resounding win over Serbia to start off the Olympic group stage.
Sun, July 28, 2024 at 8:04 PM GMT+2Sun, July 28, 2024 at 7:55 PM GMT+2
Kevin Durant, who is Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in men’s basketball, continues to add to his tally. He now has more than 450 points in an American uniform.
Sun, July 28, 2024 at 7:48 PM GMT+2
Easy to forget that Sunday marked Stephen Curry’s Olympic debut. The guard scored 11 points and pulled down three rebounds in his first Olympic game.
Sun, July 28, 2024 at 7:42 PM GMT+2
The U.S. will face South Sudan, who nearly…
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Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-07-28 14:00:43
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