The United States men’s basketball team’s gold medal defense got off to a strong start Sunday at the Paris Olympics with a 110-84 victory over Serbia in the group opener.
Kevin Durant led the way for the USA, scoring 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting. Durant, who missed every exhibition game leading up to Paris, looked dominant off the bench. LeBron James, who competed in the Olympics for the first time since 2012, recorded 21 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists, picking up where he left off in London 12 years ago.
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Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić led Serbia with 20 points and 8 assists, adding 5 rebounds for good measure. But the Serbs were impressed with the talent on the U.S. side. After a back-and-forth first quarter, the United States took the lead at the end of the first 10 minutes and never gave up the rest of the way.
The US shooting was off the charts in the premiere. The U.S. shot 62.3% from the field, including 56.3% from three. Moving players like Devin Booker and Stephen Curry off the ball proved problematic for the Serbian defense, and the United States’ other perimeter stars were able to take advantage of their screens and movement. However, the frontcourt rotation of Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis was strong defensively, stopping virtually every Serbian player except Jokić.
Contributions came from the entire US roster. Jrue Holiday scored 15 points in addition to his defensive ability on the ball. Booker had 12, while Curry and Anthony Edwards added 11 each. Edwards also brought his signature attitude, inviting some Serbian defenders to dance on some of his buckets.
While Durant’s return bolstered the U.S. offense, it also bolstered the rotation. Durant came off the bench and apparently put Jayson Tatum on the ice – for now. Tatum, the defending NBA champion, didn’t see any action in the opening game. With plenty of firepower on the wings between James, Durant, Booker and Davis, coach Steve Kerr opted for more defensive players alongside them, ironically Tatum’s Celtics teammates Holiday and Derrick White.
Although the USA is the heavy favorite to win a fourth consecutive gold medal, Sunday’s victory was impressive. What Serbia lacks in NBA depth, it makes up for in cohesion. Serbia won silver during last year’s FIBA World Cup and also boasts current NBA stars Nikola Jović and Bogdan Bogdanović.
The USA’s next game in the group stage is against South Sudan on Wednesday. The two teams have played recently, with the USA claiming a 101-100 victory on July 20.
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