Team USA bounced back in convincing fashion after blowing out Argentina, 108-80 in their exhibition match on Tuesday, avoiding what could've been an embarrassing 0-3 hole.
After back-to-back losses to Nigeria and Australia, Team USA was eager to silence the critics, and Gregg Popovich and his wards did it right from the onset. They erected a 17-point lead in the first quarter and never relinquished the driver's seat en route to the lopsided victory.
At halftime, Kevin Durant sounded off on what they consistently need to do to avoid getting outplayed by lower-ranked teams (via The Score).
“We’re not going to make shots all the time. But if we continue to guard the way we are, it’ll start to turn for us on offense. When we keep the ball in front and we get stops and rebounds, then we pretty much can play with a clean slate on the offensive side of the ball.”
After a dismal shooting performance in Team USA's two defeats, Durant finally looked like the scoring assassin that he is, putting up 17 points on an efficient 6-of-9 marksmanship from the field. It appeared the Brooklyn Nets star has shook off the rust since they got eliminated in the NBA Playoffs.
Durant also got plenty of help, with Bradley Beal also scoring 17 points, while Zach LaVine and Damian Lillard chipped in 15 and 13 markers, respectively.
Team USA has two more games lined up, including a rematch against Australia on Friday. With Durant finally finding his groove, it would be very interesting to see if they can also bounce back convincingly against Patty Mills and company.
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