United States kicks off Olympic tournament with exhibition against Serbia

Led by an immeasurable Kevin Durant and a no less brilliant LeBron James, the United States team, the big favorite for gold, defeated Serbia – current world runner-up – 110-84 on Sunday, in the first match of both in Group C of the Olympic tournament of the Paris 2024 Games, which was played at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d’Ascq, on the outskirts of Lille.

Kevin Durant, with 23 points, and LeBron James, with 21, were the two top scorers of the game; while Nikola Jokic, with 20, was the most effective of the Serbian team; in a game that lived up to expectations, especially on the part of the Americans, who spared no effort, put on a show; and confirmed that they are coming for everything.

The United States, which is chasing its 17th Olympic gold medal – its fifth in a row – and has therefore brought a new version of its Dream Team to the Paris Games, started out off-balance, with Embiid missing free throws and his first three-point attempt. Meanwhile, Partizan point guard Avramovic not only opened the scoring, but scored the first four points in a row, before LeBron James stole the ball, put it back in the air and dunked the first basket for the Americans.

American Recovery

After an initial 10-2 deficit, Steve Kerr’s men woke up and announced the presence of the ‘dream team’ in the Olympic zone with a triple from Steph Curry, the best ‘three-point shooter’ in history. Making his debut, at 36 years old, in the Games. Four-time NBA winner alongside the ‘US Team’ coach with the Golden State Warriors. The same titles that LeBron has – who, at 39, is aiming for his third gold – but, unlike him, all with the same team.

Serbia is no small team. It needs no introduction. It is the current runner-up in the world championship and, before the fiasco of not qualifying for the Tokyo Games, it won silver in the previous Olympic event, in Rio 2016. And its star, Nikola Jokic, has been chosen, for the third time, as MVP – most valuable player – of the NBA, the best league in the world, in which he made the Denver Nuggets champions two seasons ago.

Jokic, Avramovic and Dobric (Virtus Bologna) held their own for the team coached by Svetislav Pesic, but the festival got off to a flying start when the ‘desired’ Kevin Durant came on the court, who could become the first player to capture a fourth gold in the history of men’s basketball.

‘KD’, 35, who did not play a single minute in the five friendly games in preparation for the Games due to a calf injury, was given a warm welcome – never better said – by Kerr, who knows him perfectly from the time when the now Phoenix Suns forward won two rings under his direction in Golden State. As soon as Durant entered the court, he stood at the front of the very virtuous orchestra of the stars and stripes; and everything was back to ‘showtime’: the expression that refers to the glorious era of the Lakers of ‘Magic’ Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar in the 80s.

Team USA had already taken the lead thanks to LeBron (12-13); but Durant came on and with Durant everything changed. He entered the court with 2:33 left in the first quarter – which ended with an ‘ally-hoop’ served by LeBron to Anthony Davis for 20-25 – and what he did during the time he played, from that moment until half-time, is worth paying any price for a ticket.

Durant infallible

Durant scored 21 points during that time on 100 percent shooting from eight shots: five three-pointers and three two-pointers. Those who doubted his presence at the Games – and everyone else – were simply left speechless.

Durant’s dazzling performance minimized Jokic’s 12 points in the first half and Dobric’s 10, against a Serbia that was well organized defensively but succumbed to excellence; and went to the locker room eight points down (49-58).

From there, it was all about managing the wealth and making occasional flourishes, such as another spectacular assist from James to Jrue Holiday, one of the three players who have just won the ring with the Celtics, resolving in their favor the historic tie that united them with the Lakers in titles in the NBA (18-17).

Well, not everything. LeBron, who will share a locker room with his son Bronny next season, showed that his son will have a tough time when the comparisons begin. With an amazing form, the star from Akron (Ohio) ended up joining Durant’s party. LeBron finished with 21 points – two less than him – to which he added seven rebounds and nine assists, to finish with the best PIR of the game: 28.

More protagonists

And since the tune was good and invited people to dance, Devin Booker, Durant’s teammate on the Suns, and Edwards, 22 years old and with a more than promising future ahead of him, also came out to dance.

Jokic was not far behind and with twenty points, five rebounds and eight assists, he finished as the highest-rated player on his team (25). Bogdan Bogdanovic, shooting guard for the Atlanta Hawks, was the second-highest Serbian scorer, with 14 points; and he left the Pierre Mauroy with a rating of 12. Also the second-highest of his team.

With the score at 65-84, the fourth quarter had begun, with everything resolved and without wanting to push the machine any further, thinking about the next games, which will pit Serbia against Puerto Rico; and the ‘States’ against South Sudan, which this Sunday gave a big surprise by defeating the Caribbean team. And as in the end everything was joy, the American party ended, of course, with a triple from Curry.

Paris / EFE