Team USA has a lot of weapons
If anyone was hoping for an upset tonight, we imagine they are sorely disappointed. Not only did Team USA come out with the win, but they dominated Serbia as is clearly evidenced by the 84-110 score.
Yet, it would be unfair not to credit Nikola Jokic and his men who kept things relatively tight in the first half, albeit not where Kevin Durant was concerned. Indeed, Durant had an almost perfect night, scoring 8-of-9 from the field and 5-of-5 from beyond the arc for a total of 23 points and two rebounds. Truthfully, the defense of the perimeter is where Serbia began to show cracks as they failed on several occasions to close down the American threat from distance, and we all know Team USA can shoot. Whether it was the on fire Durant, the legendary Steph Curry who was relatively quiet on the night, or Jrue Holiday who contributed with some time threes of his own, the point is that it didn’t go well.
This brings us to the second half, where the Serbians who can be considered a solid group of players, began to show some not so strong legs. Indeed, one could argue that it was their collective loss of steam that sealed their fate in the 3rd and 4th quarters. That’s definitely something they will want to look at going forward.
As for Team USA, it would be safe to say that their tournament favorite status is still very much in tact.