“Of us being underdog?” he said.
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The U.S. missed their first five shots, but two free throws from DeMarcus Cousins sparked a 9-2 run that would put the game out of reach for good.
DeMarcus Cousins added 17 points and Paul George 15 for the US, which is a heavy favorite to win a third straight gold and won’t change any opinions with Saturday’s performance.
Paul George came in early off the bench and was quite aggressive on the defensive end, a bit too much so at times, picking up a couple of perimeter fouls. Kevin Durant is the only other member of the team with Olympic experience, meaning 10 of the 12 players are first-time Olympians. “If we keep playing hard and keep sharing the ball, I think we’re going to get better”.
“A lot of those guys have already won gold medals before, and those guys have their reasons”.
“It’s not easy, I know that the scoreboards make it look like it is, but these games are not easy”, said Sue Bird, the 35-year-old American point guard and three-time gold medalist.
China: Again, China is aware that it would need more than a flawless game to beat the Americans.
China’s big man Yi Jianlian, a former 6th overall pick in the National Basketball Association, led his team in scoring, dropping in 18 points in 29 minutes. Team USA out-rebounded China 51-30 and the team also dished out 31 assists on 38 made field goals. Durant hit China with a flurry of three-pointers during his hot stretch, and he finished with five bombs on the night.
While USA dominated as expected, the surprise of the day came as Australia upset France 87-66 to win their first Olympic opener since 1996.
In Durant’s first appearance at Oracle Arena since his decision to sign with the Warriors, he scored the first 10 points of the game for his team, finishing with 13.
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United States’ Carmelo Anthony walks off the court following basketball practice at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016. There was extra motivation after missing the 2012 London Games with an ankle injury and dealing with back spasms during a regional Olympic qualifier in 2015. “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”. I can’t possibly overstate just how dominant the win was. Miroslav Raduljica added 18 for Serbia, absent from the Olympics since 2004, when it competed as Serbia and Montenegro.
