- Kevin Durant was a question mark to play, but delivered a virtuoso performance
- LeBron James also flirted with a triple-double on an impressive afternoon
Kevin Durant made a stunning comeback from injury and Lebron James was the driving force behind the US men’s basketball team, which easily defeated Serbia 110-84 in their opening game of the Olympics.
Durant had missed all of the U.S. practice games before Paris due to a calf injury and was in a race against time to be fit enough for Sunday.
But the Suns star was deemed available shortly before the game and played an excellent first half after coming on as a substitute, scoring 21 points on 8 of 8 shooting.
He would score just two more in the second half, but it didn’t matter as the US built on a nine-point halftime lead, with James contributing an impressive 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds for Serbia, but his team ultimately proved no match for the all-star American squad.
Kevin Durant had an absolutely blistering first half, scoring 21 points off the bench
LeBron James also had a strong game, finishing the game with a near triple-double
Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic added 14 points for Serbia in the loss, while Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards all also reached double figures.
The United States started the match slowly, with Serbia quickly taking a 10-2 lead, forcing U.S. coach Steve Kerr to call a timeout.
However, the arrival of big man Anthony Davis for Joel Embiid was accompanied by a 12-2 run and the U.S. took control of the game when Durant entered the game late in the first half.
The U.S. team will face South Sudan on Wednesday as the country seeks its fifth consecutive Olympic medal in men’s basketball.
Durant, meanwhile, is attempting to become the first four-time Olympic gold medalist on the men’s basketball team.
The American men’s all-time leading scorer at the Olympic Games was part of the teams that won the title at the 2012 London Olympics, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and the Tokyo Games three years ago.
More to follow