USA Routs Serbia As Kevin Durant Shines In Olympic Opener

Kevin Durant transformed into his Captain America costume, and was magnificent in Team USA’s rout of Serbia, 110-84 on Sunday. Having missed Training Camp, Durant was practically flawless in his return. Scoring 21 of his game high 23 points, incluiding a dazzling fadeaway jumper at the end of the first half. 

LeBron James added 21 points, nine assists and  seven rebounds in the first game of these Paris Games. With Coach Kerr, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant leading the way, this team resembles the Golden State Warriors. 

Dub Nation means the three point shot. Team USA was red hot from beyond the arc, knocking down 18 three pointers while shooting an eye popping 56% from downtown. 

The Olympic opener served, at times, like a broad display of renewed American might. Yes, Team USA has won four consecutive golds, but the last international competition didn’t go so well. The U.S. finished fourth at the World Cup last summer; Serbia, by the way, was runner up.

On this day, Curry, 36, and Edwards, 22, both scored 11 points in their Olympic debuts. Jrue Holiday, a returning gold medalist, scored 15 points with three 3-pointers, and another gold medalist from those Tokyo games, Devin Booker, added 12 points.

Durant’s return to the rotation meant Jayson Tatum, a three-time first-team All-NBA selection at least for the first game, was out. Tatum averaged 6.4 points and shot 47 percent during the exhibition season. Booker kept his spot in Kerr’s starting lineup, but how long that lasts is a fair question.

“It’s really hard in a 40-minute game to play more than 10 guys, and with Kevin coming back, I just went to the combinations that I felt would make the most sense,” Kerr said. “It seems crazy. I thought I was crazy when I looked at everything and determined these are the lineups I want to get to. Jason’s first-team All-NBA three years in a row, he’s one of the best players in the world.” 

Team USA’s next game is against South Sudan at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday. South Sudan beat Puerto Rico on Sunday.