David Bridges
LeBron James and Kevin Durant shortly obtained into the rhythm of enjoying on the Olympics once more, serving to the U.S. males’s nationwide basketball staff make headway in direction of their objective of a fifth straight Olympic gold medal at these Summer season Video games, with a 110-84 victory over Serbia on Sunday.
James, a 20-time NBA All-Star and the NBA’s all-time scoring chief as of final 12 months, hadn’t competed within the Olympics for 12 years however had secured three Olympic medals: two golds from 2012 and 2008 and a bronze from 2004.
As for Durant, the now four-time Olympian was making his summer season debut however got here with three gold medals below his belt. He’s hoping to turn into essentially the most embellished male basketball participant, surpassing Carmelo Anthony, who has three gold medals and a bronze from Athens in 2004.
Durant missed all 5 exhibition video games the U.S. performed forward of Paris on account of a calf pressure. Nonetheless, because the highest-scoring participant in males’s Olympic basketball historical past, Durant made his first eight pictures on the best way to 23 factors in lower than 17 minutes. James added 21 factors, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.
“All people performed their function fairly properly,” Durant stated. “My function was to come back in and supply spacing and shot-making for the staff, and I’m glad I used to be capable of knock them down.”
The individuals have spoken. 🗣️
LeBron James and Kevin Durant dominate in Sport 1 of the #ParisOlympics. pic.twitter.com/Ud73qHxQW2
— NBC Sports activities (@NBCSports) July 28, 2024
U.S. coach Steve Kerr, who spent three seasons with Durant on the Golden State Warriors, introduced Durant off the bench relatively than utilizing him within the beginning lineup.
“Greater than any participant I’ve ever been round, when he comes again from a protracted absence, you don’t discover it,” Kerr stated.
The NBA superstars have been a mixed 18 for 22 from the sphere—8 of 9 for Durant, 9 of 13 for James—because the U.S. had no hassle with the reigning World Cup silver medalists from final summer season within the Philippines. Jrue Vacation scored 15, Devin Booker had 12, and Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry every added 11 for the U.S.
Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic scored 20 factors for Serbia, whereas Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 14.
“That’s one of the best recreation we’ve performed to this point,” James stated after the People improved to 6-0 this summer season, 1-0 within the match that issues.
Each groups return to motion on Wednesday, with the U.S. taking over upstart South Sudan—a rematch of a 101-100 escape win for the People in an exhibition in London earlier this month—and Serbia assembly Puerto Rico in what may primarily be an elimination recreation for each groups.
Ivy Caldwell
Cameron Steel
