Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant reminded everyone why he is Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in their 110-84 opening Olympic win over Serbia Sunday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Durant came off the bench in his first game back from a calf injury that sidelined him for all five of Team USA’s exhibition games, but it didn’t matter. In the first half, he had 21 points on perfect 8-of-8 shooting from the field and was 5-for-5 from 3 in only nine minutes. Durant ended the night with 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting and two rebounds and was a +20 in 17 minutes.
The all-time leading ???????? #USABMNT scorer keeps on adding to his tally.#Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/19SI6WKlxp
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 28, 2024
Durant checked in to the game for the first time with 2:33 remaining in the first quarter with the U.S. trailing 20-14 to replace his Suns teammate Devin Booker and immediately cashed a 3-pointer. This started a 11-0 U.S. run to end the quarter, which featured another Durant 3, giving them a 25-20 advantage entering the second quarter.
Durant kept rolling in the second period, converting a midrange jumper for the first points of any team in the quarter. He then hit a contested 3-pointer to give Team USA a 30-23 lead with 8:29 to go in the first half. No one could stop Durant, as Adebayo next found him for a corner 3 with Jokić right in his grill and it didn’t matter. Booker checked back in for Durant with 6:40 remaining in the second quarter and Team USA leading 35-25. Durant had 14 points and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and 4-for-4 from 3 at this point.
Durant came back in with 2:46 left in the second quarter and ended an 8-0 Serbia run with a jumper. He then gave the U.S. a 56-49 lead with a pull-up 3-pointer with 35 seconds left in the half. Durant wasn’t done. He concluded the first half with an incredible buzzer-beater to give Team USA a 58-49 halftime lead.
Kevin Durant’s return to play for #USABMNT has been SENSATIONAL ????
21 PTS
8-8 FGM
5-5 3PM
2Q buzzer-beaterKD is DIFFERENT! ????pic.twitter.com/YaWC0T2Z2t
— NBA (@NBA) July 28, 2024
Kevin Durant is incredible. Has 21 points at the half in his first game back on perfect 8-of-8 shooting from the field and 5-for-5 from 3. Team USA leads Serbia 58-49 at halftime after a Durant buzzer beater#USABMNT #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/IQXWMxC0Py
— Burn City Suns Talk ????️ (@BurnCitySuns) July 28, 2024
Durant’s first action of the second half came when he checked in with 3:43 left in the third quarter. He scored his only points of the second half from the free-throw line with 2:09 to go in the third, as the U.S. led 80-65 at this point. Durant did not attempt any shots in the third, and the U.S. was up 84-65 heading into the fourth quarter.
Durant finally missed his first shot with 8:07 remaining in the game. Booker checked back in for Durant with 5:38 to go and the U.S. leading 89-73.
Team USA will play their second game of group play on Wednesday (July 31) against South Sudan at 12 p.m. MST. South Sudan barely lost to Team USA in an exhibition a couple weeks ago and defeated Puerto Rico 90-79 earlier today.
Durant, James lead Team USA to 110-84 blowout win over Serbia in 1st Olympic game
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
