Kevin Durant nears perfection with 23 points off bench in Olympic-opening win over Serbia
Jul 28, 2024, 9:35 AM | Updated: Jul 29, 2024, 9:50 am
Kevin Durant #7 of Team United States reacts to a basket during the first half of the Men's Group Phase - Group C game between Serbia and the United States on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024 in Lille, France. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Kevin Durant nailed a long-range two before the first-half buzzer and finished with a team-leading 23 points to help USA Basketball post a dominant 110-84 win over Serbia in their Paris Olympics opener.
Despite not playing in any of the U.S. national team’s five exhibition games, the Phoenix Suns star shot 8-for-9 from the field including a flawless 5-for-5 from three-point country. Durant did it all coming off the bench, getting in for nearly 17 minutes of on-court action.
He was dealing with a minor calf strain since the beginning of training camp and was seen practicing for the first time on July 19.
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It was certainly a catch-and-shoot performance, as Durant only produced two rebounds, one personal foul and did not record an assist against the Nikola Jokic-led Serbia.
Devin Booker had excellent touch behind the three-point arc, going 4-for-5 while adding five rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes. LeBron James and Jrue Holiday provided the rest of the offensive spark, with 21 and 15 points, respectively.
USA Basketball moves on in group play with South Sudan (1-0) on Wednesday. Coverage begins at 12:00 p.m. MST on USA.
