The U.S. men’s basketball team’s gold medal defense at the Paris Olympics began in earnest on Sunday with a 110-84 win over Serbia in their first group game.
Kevin Durant led the U.S. with 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting. Durant, who missed all exhibition games leading up to Paris, came off the bench and dominated. LeBron James, playing in his first Olympic Games since 2012, picked up where he left off in London 12 years ago, finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds and nine assists.
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Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic led Serbia with 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds, but Serbia was overwhelmed by the talent of the U.S. side. The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, but the U.S. took the lead after the opening 10 minutes and never relinquished it.
The U.S. shot astronomically in the season opener, shooting 62.3 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from three-point range. Moving players like Devin Booker and Stephen Curry off the ball gave the Serbian defense problems, and the U.S.’s other perimeter stars were able to use screens and movement to their advantage. Meanwhile, the frontcourt rotation of Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis was solid defensively, keeping most of the Serbian players outside of Jokic out of the paint.
Every American player contributed. Jrue Holiday added 15 points in addition to his on-ball defensive prowess. Booker had 12, while Curry and Anthony Edwards each had 11. Edwards also showed his trademark attitude, making the Serbian defenders dance around his shot.
Durant’s return strengthened the U.S. offense but also tightened the rotation. Durant came off the bench, seemingly giving Jayson Tatum a temporary rest; the reigning NBA champion sat out the season opener. The wing of James, Durant, Booker and Davis provided plenty of offensive firepower, so head coach Steve Kerr ironically opted to field two more defensive-minded players alongside them: Holiday and Derrick White, Tatum’s Celtics teammates.
The U.S. is the favorite to win a fourth consecutive gold medal, but Sunday’s win was impressive. Serbia lacks the depth of the NBA’s roster, but makes up for it with unity. The team won silver at last year’s FIBA World Cup and also features current NBA stars Nikola Jovic and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
The U.S.’ next group match is against South Sudan on Wednesday. The teams have met recently, with the U.S. narrowly winning 101-100 on July 20.
