The US beat Serbia 94-91 in the preliminary round, but proved it was a different story when the gold medal was at stake.
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Saving their best for last in a tournament that had been tough, the Americans convincingly won their third straight gold medal, beating Serbia 96-66 on Sunday. Team USA came out firing in the second half, led by Kevin Durant.
Durant soon took centre stage, putting up an eight-point individual run as the United States stormed into a healthy lead. The Americans won 46 gold medals. Tap the button below on your phone to add! I love the game. They were within three points with just over six minutes remaining in the second quarter, but a 22-8 run to finish the quarter put the game out of reach for good. I’ve seen the losing side and I’ve seen what it feels like to win three gold medals. Kevin Durant scored 30 points and helped the Americans jump out to a huge lead by halftime.
Cousins had 11 points and 12 rebounds in the first half, which ended with the Americans ahead 52-29 and playing like the flamboyant side most expected to see once the roster was named.
Or even the 2008 Redeem Team-with Kobe and LeBron-from Beijing, which brought the basketball gold medal back home after the 2004 debacle in Athens, where Team USA lost three games and finished with a bronze.
It was also the farewell game for USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, who will be replaced by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
An organized Serbian team produced enough trouble for the United States, as they did in the previous encounter, when the lead was exchanged five times and the game was tied four times in the first quarter. National Basketball Association teams have had at least 100 foreign players on their rosters the last two seasons; a record 15 global players were selected in the first round of this year’s National Basketball Association draft.
But it was the defense, which was much-maligned during pool play, that turned what had the potential to be a competitive game into a rout. The long-distance attack that had powered Serbia in the first meeting – when they made 10-of-25 three-point shots (40%) – stalled badly as they were limited to 4-of-24 (17%).
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Krzyzewski, who will continue coaching at powerhouse Duke University, is confident U.S. basketball will continue to thrive, especially with Popovich, five times NBA champion as Spurs head coach, set to take over.
