In a recreation characterised by early runs that always got here one after one other, Kevin Durant had his personal excellent taking pictures run within the first half (8-for-8 from the sphere and 5-for-5 from three), together with a buzzer-beating fadeaway jumper on the finish of the second to stake the USA to a first-half benefit that it constructed on to convicingly defeat Nikola Jokic and Serbia.
In its runaway 110-84 win, a motivated United States squad doubled Serbia on made threes (18 to 9) and shot way more precisely from the sphere (62% to 41%) to erase an early deficit, and its 52-35 second half consequence assured a cushty victory. USA disrupted Serbia’s perimeter gamers sufficient to trigger a horrid 9-for-37 effort from behind the arc.
James (21 factors, 9 assists, and seven rebounds) and Durant (23 factors on 5-for-5 from three) began a mixed 14-for-14 and paced a well-oiled offensive machine after a troublesome begin for the USA. Derrick White, Devin Booker, and Jrue Vacation swiped two steals apiece on the different finish, and Stephen Curry allowed himself for use as a decoy to regularly open up lanes and house for teammates. Regardless of a largely muted impact on the sport’s end result, Jokic (20 factors, 8 assists, and 4 steals) garnered some MVP chants, whereas Bogdan Bogdanovic chipped in 14 factors and 6 rebounds for Serbia.
Serbia leapt forward 10-2 within the opening minutes by punishing a nervy US crew in transition and taking part in properly off of Jokic. Curry and Devin Booker’s wing threes began an 12-2 run punctuated by a James transition lay-up. The 2 Nikola’s (Jokic and Jovic) helped reply with their very own 8-0 sequence. Durant and Anthony Edwards ignited a closing 11-0 push that allowed the US to wrest the lead away for good.
Behind Durant’s marksmanship, the US had Serbia down as a lot as 11 early within the second. Jokic’s private 9-point burst introduced Serbia nearer, however James’ bucket-getting saved them at bay. After the US lead was trimmed to briefly to 2, Durant hit one other fadeaway and Vacation earned a steal and rating to create some wanted cushion. Even after a pair of scores from Bogdanovic, Durant calmly answered with a pull-up three and a tough turnaround to cement an attractive shot chart and make it 58-49 USA heading to the break.
Firstly of the third, the physicality went up demonstrably, as FIlip Petrusev repeatedly fouled Embiid on one finish, and was bodied on the different finish by James – with Embiid flagrantly fouling a Serbian guard in the identical sequence. Embiid’s turnaround put the US up a dozen. James, similar to he did within the first half, took a steal and transformed a strong transiton lay-up whereas rampaging by three Serbian defenders. James even tipped (FIBA guidelines!) an errant free throw off the rim to a teammate and located a diving Davis for an alley-oop dunk. Edwards’ deft baseline floater put the US up 84-65 heading into the fourth.
Observations
Roundball Rock simply hits in a different way as an older individual.
Halfway by the opening interval, Vasilije Micic, channeling his interior Ed Reed, body-checked Durant off the ground and it was dominated only a widespread foul.
Probably the most persistently loud boos have been showered on Embiid. I’m undecided what we’re seeing on the market with him, however he’s nowhere close to the identical man that scored 60+ factors on San Antonio.
White and Vacation actually are rather a lot to deal with for opposing guards.
Sequence of the Recreation #1: Anytime Durant tried a shot within the opening half.
Sequence of the Recreation #2: James took a Vacation deflection coast to coast for an emphatic slam that the 30 yr outdated model of him would have appreciated.
Sequence of the Recreation #3: James discovered a streaking Edwards for a hovering alley-up to finish the primary quarter.
What Might Have Been (aka Gary’s Wishful Pondering): Bogdanovic would have made a heady rotation participant for these offensively-challenged Spurs rosters of late.
Didn’t have Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton registering DNP-CD’s; properly, Haliburton, I anticipated.
The massive man pairings appear higher that includes Anthony Davis with a smaller quartet of shooters, whereas Embiid and his plodding methods requires a lithe floating presence like Adebayo to counter him.
USA takes on former participant and present coach Luol Deng and stunning South Sudan Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 PM CDT on the NBC networks.
