“When we do sub, there’s no drop-off”, assistant coach Tom Thibodeau said.
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Team USA beat China 119-62 in its Group A opener, led by 25 points from Kevin Durant. From midway through the first quarter on, the result was not in question.
Solo makes history in USA win: Hope Solo came up big in her historic 200th worldwide appearance as the United States fought off France 1-0 in an group stage match in Belo Horizonte.
As expected, the United States overwhelmed China on both ends of the floor. The U.S. moved the ball well and got a bunch of open looks. She also became just the 11th USA player to reach that number of appearances. The U.S.’s defensive pressure forced a lot of turnovers by the Chinese. The last USA player to enter the game, he scored six of his eight points in the final 4:06.
Durant made three 3-pointers in the first half as the US opened a 29-point halftime lead and coasted. He had 12 points on four three-pointers in 126-second span of the third quarter.
Thompson finished with just two points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Kevin Durant led the way with 25 points on Saturday, while DeMarcus Cousins added 17. Cousins used his size and strength advantage to bully China’s big men on the inside, where he either scored or went to the free throw line.
Turning point: The score was knotted at 4-4 three minutes into the contest when the United States of America turned on the afterburners.
DeMarcus Cousins added 17 points and Paul George 15 for the USA, which is a heavy favorite to win a third straight gold. The Indiana Pacers star finished a flawless 7-7 from the foul line. Irving got going in the second half from his preferred right corner spot.
Make it 2-0 for USA Boxing in Rio. The U.S. tied 34 seconds later, took the lead a minute and a half later and never looked back. The United States knew that before the game was ever played. Former NBA journeyman Yi Jianlian was the only China player to score double figures.
Venezuela should not pose too much of a threat to the USA, as the squad features no National Basketball Association players – Venezuelan Greivis Vasquez withdrawal from the team to focus on his health after signing with the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason – and has little experience in the pro leagues around the globe.
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Aside from Parker’s 18 points, there wasn’t much for the Frenchmen to write home about and the team that was viewed by many as a top contender for a medal has some soul searching to do between now and the knockout stage if they want to have a shot at Silver or Bronze. If the team continues to play like this, that incident may do more to bolster their reputation as it becomes part of their legend rather than an unneeded distraction.
