Kevin Durant, one of the best players to ever wear the red, white, and blue jersey, exceeded his typical Olympic performance, scoring 23 points, 21 of which came in the first half, and hitting his first eight shots in Team USA's 110-84 win over Serbia on Sunday.
Durant, who was notably absent from Team USA’s exhibition games due to a calf injury, returned for the Group C opener against Serbia. By the end of the game, Durant proved he is healthy, reinforcing the strength of the tournament's most formidable team.
Kevin Durant feeling tired after his return for Team USA
“I was tired, I’m not going to lie to you,” Durant said after his return via AZCentral.
“My lungs were getting used to the intensity of the game, but it felt good to make some shots. I know everybody played their role pretty well. My role was to come in, provide spacing and shot making for the team. Glad I was able to knock them down,” continued the 35-year old who hadn't played since the Phoenix Suns' first-round playoff loss in April. He dominated Serbia by converting his first eight shots from the field in the first half, hitting 5-of-5 from 3-point range and 3-of-3 from within the arc.
Durant has consistently excelled in a USA jersey, holding the title of the program's all-time leading scorer and aiming for a record fourth Olympic gold medal in men's basketball. His last appearance for Team USA was in the Tokyo gold medal game, where he led the team to victory with 29 points in a close win against France.
“When you're going through a rehab, especially when you want it to happen pretty quickly,” said the Suns forward.
Team USA's early jitters and Durant coming to the rescue
Despite being loaded with MVPs and NBA champions, the United States appeared shaken early in the first quarter of its Olympic opener. Steve Kerr started with a lineup of LeBron James, Steph Curry, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, and Jrue Holiday, but this star-studded group quickly found themselves in trouble.
“You've got a short amount of time together. There were days I had good days and then I had a little setback here and there. I was nervous a little bit,” added Durant.
Durant played just over six minutes during the first and second quarters, scoring 14 crucial points, which was double the output of any other player on either team at that point.
KD has always been a game-changer for Team USA in international competitions, and that was evident again with his performance.
He finished the first half by scoring five points in the final 36 seconds.
With six seconds remaining, Team USA called a timeout, and Kerr crafted a play featuring Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Durant—three of the greatest players in NBA history, all with championships, MVPs, and Finals MVPs.
Curry set a baseline screen for Durant, and James delivered the ball right into Durant's shooting pocket. Durant nailed a fadeaway jumper and then landed flat on his back, giving the U.S. a 58-49 lead at halftime.
Cruising over Serbia
Kevin Durant had a game high 23 points, and as he exited the game with 5:33 left, he was greeted with a respectful ovation from the crowd.
LeBron James, coming off his role in leading Team USA during the Opening Ceremony, started the game with a breakaway dunk and ended with 21 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds. For Serbia, Nikola Jokić led the team with 20 points and 8 assists.
Team USA will face South Sudan in their next game on Wednesday.
Follow Us
Subscribe
