LeBron James and Kevin Durant Propel USA Past Serbia in Olympic Opener.
The stages are set, and the games are officially on for the basketball Olympics with the United States taking game one of Group C with a commanding 110–84 win over Serbia in Paris.
NBA Allstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant were an in-sync force for the U.S., combing for 44 points and 17-for-22 (77.2%) shooting in the win.
Team USA announced before the matchup that Durant would come off the bench for the Olympics opener to make his return after missing all five of the team’s exhibition games prior to the Paris Olympics due to a calf strain.
In his welcome back, Durant went on a flamethrower run for the U.S. off the bench, making his first eight shots, five of them from three. The three-time gold medalist would finally miss a shot late in the fourth quarter to finish with a game-high 23 points in a limited 16 minutes of action.
James, 39, showed no signs of slowing down in Paris with multiple sequences of strong finishes at the rim, one of which ended on a coast-to-coast finish with his signature muscle flex to cap it off. The NBA’s scoring leader finished with 21 points, nine assists and seven rounds.
Serbia stayed leveled with Team USA until a 26–16 third quarter broke away the score and a 26–19 fourth putting the final nail in the coffin.
Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić was the U.S.’s toughest task on Serbia as he forced his way inside the paint mixed in with his efficient passing. Jokić finished with 20 points, eight assists, and five rebounds.
With Durant and James having the spotlight shine from their outings, USA’s point guard Jrue Holiday had an underlooked performance for the Americans with a methodical 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the win.
The return of Durant in the lineup meant fewer minutes for others, and unfortunately, that went to five-time NBA all-star and recent NBA champion Jayson Tatum, who finished the game with a DNP (Did not participate).
Team USA’s game two matchup of the Olympics is Wednesday (12 p.m. PST), July 31, against South Sudan, who they narrowly beat by one in the final seconds in the USA Showcase (July 20) in London.
