Durant picked up right where he left off in the 2012 Olympics with 25 points as the US men’s basketball team routed China 119-62 on Saturday night in its opening game.
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With Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony the lone returning Olympians, the USA suited up ten Olympic neophytes in pursuit of their third straight Olympic gold medal.
United States’ Carmelo Anthony (15) signals ager make a score against Venezuela during a men’s basketball game at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016.
– The U.S. men’s and women’s Olympic basketball teams are experiencing Rio a little differently than the other top athletes there for the Games. Anthony now has 262 points and the four-time Olympian trails only LeBron James (273) and David Robinson (270).
A bright spot for China on a day when they were completely out of their depth was Yi Jianlian’s 25 points in 30 minutes.
The Americans improved to 6-0 against China in Olympic play and 3-0 since assembling last month, having won two lopsided exhibitions last month in California against the Asian champions.
USA Basketball kicked off their Olympics women’s basketball run against Senegal that started the slate of hoops on Sunday as well. But coach Mike Krzyzewski said this squad has already bonded as much as any of the three USA teams he has led in the Olympics.
Team USA was led by Kevin Durant’s 25 points and six assists, continuing his hot streak that started in the USA friendlies leading up to this tournament. Of their 38 made field goals, 31 were assisted. Also, Venezuela lost 86-62 to Serbia in its first Group A game, with Dwight Lewis scoring five points for Venezuela.
Red, white and blase for one quarter, the U.S. Olympic team woke up and won easily.
And for those Bay Area fans who are wondering, I can report that the Yankee Doodle Dubs – the three Warriors players on the United States roster – played strong contributing roles in the outcome. “We have so many different guys with so many different talents, we can nearly throw anybody out there and we’ll have a different identity”.
Durant watched the 2004 ignominy as a high school player and desperately wanted to be on the 2008 team to show that America still was the best basketball country in the world.
“What’s done is done”, Anthony, the elder statesman of the team, said of the matter.
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Coach Mike Krzyzewski did not address the situation during his postgame news conference.
