Stewart is the first player, man or woman, to win four straight NCAA titles followed by an Olympic gold.
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With the big lead, Team USA cruised throughout the rest of the game and ultimately won by a final score of 96-66.
The Americans led 19-15 at the end of the first quarter, but it was all US in the second quarter racing out to a 52-29 halftime lead.
But, Durant came alive in the second quarter. They outscored Serbia 27-14 in the quarter. Thanks to a triple from Kevin Durant with 25 seconds left in the half, Team USA was up 23 at the break, and Carmelo Anthony broke the ice on the second half with another three to remind Serbia to know their role and shut their mouths.
Completing a third consecutive unbeaten run to Olympic gold, the United States captured a sixth Games title with National Basketball Association talent in seven tries by routing Serbia 96-66 in the final.
Kevin Durant led the attack for the U.S., contributing 30 points including 24 in a brilliant opening half, while DeMarcus Cousins showed himself to be a master of the boards, pulling down 15 rebounds.
“Three Olympic medals in a row, I think that’s pretty remarkable”, said Spain’s Pau Gasol, who led all scorers with 31 points and added 11 rebounds. “I committed to something”. Anthony said. “I’ve seen both sides of it”.
The win was the last with Mike Krzyzewski as head coach.
“We’ve been helping in basketball around the world for 50 years”, Colangelo said. The team only lost one game while he was on the bench, and went undefeated in Olympic play.
The Americans just secured their fifteenth Olympic gold medal. US defeated Serbia 94-91 in a pool play game on August 12. Much of the turnaround can be attributed to a renewed defensive effort – a hallmark of Coach K’s previous Olympic teams.
When the final horn sounded, the USA players shared long hugs with each other and then Krzyzewski.
Alba Torrens, Taurasi and Brittney Griner’s teammate in Russian Federation, scored a team-high 18 points for Spain to go along with five rebounds, four assists and five steals.
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It was a tough ending after an impressive run for Serbia in its first Olympics as an independent nation. Nemanja Nedovic had 14 points to pace Serbia.
