Vintage performances from James, Durant leads Team USA to first official win

Stellar performances from a pair of multi-time Olympians lifted Team USA to its first official win of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.

The men’s national team thwarted Serbia, 110-84, Sunday morning from the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve d’Ascq. The contest marked the first game of the summer games for both countries.

This year’s national team went undefeated through the group stage and are now 20-1 in the Olympics since 2004. As a result, the country is atop Group C along with South Sudan with Serbia and Puerto Rico looking up.

Next up, the United States will be matched up across from South Sudan with that game set for Wednesday, July 31 at 12 p.m. In the final tune up game, the Americans squeaked by the first-time Olympic games eligible country by a point.

The US is looking for its eighth gold medal since 1992 and its 21st medal overall. Of the 20 medals already recorded in the country’s history in the sport, 16 are gold.

Four-time gold medalist Kevin Durant was the fifth player off head coach Steve Kerr’s bench as he returns from a calf injury. Shortly after entering the contest at the 2:33-mark of the first quarter, he’d drain his first attempt from the floor.

Durant would be a part of back-to-back three-pointers with teammate Anthony Edwards during an eventual 11-0 run to tie the game at 20 apiece. That came on the heels of an 8-0 run by Serbia.

Before taking his first break, Durant had gone 5-for-5 from the field with four made threes in just seven minutes of action for 14 points. By halftime, he and fellow forward LeBron James combined to score 33 points on a perfect 13-of-13 from the field with six made long balls.

In his first action this summer, Durant scored a game-high 23 points on 8-of-9 from the floor including a perfect 5-of-5 from deep. A gold medal this time around would mean a record five gold medals for the two-time NBA champion.

James added 21 points on 9-of-13 from the field while nearing a triple double with nine assists and seven rebounds. At one point of the third quarter, he scored or assisted on eight straight points for Team USA. Not long after, he’d complete an alley-oop to his NBA-teammate Anthony Davis.

Guards Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker each added 15 points and 12 points respectively. The latter hit back-to-back threes in the first quarter after Serbia had raced out to a fast start.

With a late three in regulation, guard Steph Curry crossed over into double-digits with 11 points.

Guard Tyrese Haliburton and forward Jayson Tatum did not log any minutes in the win.