After opening their showcase tour by trouncing Argentina in Las Vegas on Friday night, the US team posted another rout at a packed Staples Center. It was 18-14 in favor of the Warriors after 11 minutes of play, as Thompson and Kevin Durant each scored nine quick points. Andres Nocioni and Manu Ginobili were both 3-for-6 from 3-point range in the game.
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The Los Angeles Clippers were one of the National Basketball Association teams who were desperate to get Kevin Durant so having negative reactions from their fans can not be prevented.
“We got better today”, said Krzyzewski, who is fashioning a team after some of the NBA’s biggest stars – including LeBron James and Stephen Curry – opted out of the Games. “When we started shooting well, I thought it was more of a team rhythm, and then we got into a Durant rhythm a little bit”.
“We didn’t score right away but we played really good defense”, Krzyzewski said.
In the meantime, Krzyzewski said he’s pushing the team focus on building a defensive identity because of the versatility and athleticism they have on that side of the ball. He put Paul George in with the starters alongside Anthony, Jordan, Kyle Lowry and DeRozan, whose family watched from courtside. With a 111-74 victory, it is becoming more apparent that Team USA will roll to gold again in Rio 2016. Exciting guard Zhao Jiwei of the Liaoning Flying Leopards scored 14 points.
Next, Team USA faces the same Chinese team in Oakland on Tuesday.
Venezuela is also in the first-round group with the USA, China, Australia, France and Serbia.
Durant and Thompson (17 points on 6-of-10 shooting) combined to hit 8-of-13 from deep on the night, winning over an L.A. crowd that had booed Durant and fellow Warrior Draymond Green during player introductions. Jordan responded with an early block and an alley-oop bucket, meeting yet another goal the team had set out.
The difference in this game against China, there was a greater balance among minutes played.
The United States had no trouble handling Argentina in all phases of Friday’s exhibition, which was the first of five Team USA will play in before heading to Rio next month for the summer Olympic Games.
“We can be a lot better and that’ll come”.
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The game at Staples Center, home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, was a preview of the teams’ scheduled August 6 clash in Rio de Janeiro, in the first-round opener for each. And while they’re still learning their teammates’ tendencies and solidifying player rotations, the USA team looked remarkably connected for long stretches against China, which has no current National Basketball Association players.
