Team USA men’s basketball started the Paris Olympics with a 110-84 drubbing of Serbia. Kevin Durant came off the bench and led the Americans with 23 points.
After missing all five pre-Olympic exhibitions, Kevin Durant took the floor with the newest edition of Team USA for the first time on Sunday in its Paris Olympics opener against Serbia.
The team's all-time leading Olympic scorer made an immediate impact, draining his first two 3-pointers.
By the end of the first half, Durant had not missed a single shot. (Watch the highlights above)
The Phoenix Suns star and Prince George's County, Maryland, native son, racked up 21 points in the first half to give Team USA a 58-49 lead at the half of its opener against Serbia. Durant, who didn't play in any exhibition games because of a calf injury, went 8-for-8 from the field, including 5 of 5 from deep, helping the U.S. take a double-digit lead early in the second.
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Nikola Jokic scored nine straight points for Serbia to cut the U.S. lead to 40-36. LeBron James, who like Durant hit his first five shots of the game, and Steph Curry answered with threes to rebuild the double-digit lead. Serbia then went on an 8-0 run to pull within 46-44. Durant then connected on his sixth-consecutive make and later hit a another three. Durant then drained a contested fade away at the buzzer to close out his perfect half.
James added 12 points and Anthony Edwards had nine as the U.S. shot 65.6% from the field, including 12 of 18 from deep, in the first half.
While the first half belonged to Kevin Durant. The second belonged to LeBron James.
Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics
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The NBA's all-time leading scorer had six points and three assists in the third, helping the United States increase its lead over Serbia to 84-65.
James, after hitting his first six shots of the game, finally missed an attempt with 8:34 left in the third. He closed the third 8-for-9 from the field for 18 points to go along with eight assists.
Durant, who was 8-for-8 from the field in the first half, checked in with 3:43 remaining in the third and was limited to a pair of free throws, both of which he made. He has 23 points and remains perfect from the field.
Each had perfect starts from the field while leading the U.S. men's basketball team to a 110-84 win over Serbia in their opening game of the 2024 Olympics.
James, who made eight of his first nine shots, finished with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Durant scored 21 of his 23 points in the first half while making his first eight field-goal attempts, including all five shots from deep. He attempted just one shot in the second half, missing a jumper early in the fourth quarter.
Steph Curry had 11 points in his Olympic debut, and fellow starter Joel Embiid, also making his debut, added four points. Jrue Holiday had 15 points, Devin Booker had 12 and Anthony Edwards had 11. The U.S. shot 62.3% from the field, going 18 of 32 from deep. Nikola Jokic led Serbia with 20 points and eight assists.
In a post-game interview with NBC Sports' Mike Tirico, Durant called the energy inside Paris' Pierre Mauroy Stadium "incredible" and that there were no lingering issues with his leg.
"The leg felt great. Been building with these guys for the last couple of weeks. I've been itching to get out on the floor," he said thanking the training staff. "It's a great first start for us."
Durant said the team has been working on building trust with one another on the court so they can beat other national teams that have played together for years.
Team USA, chasing a fifth-straight gold medal, plays its next group stage game against South Sudan on Wednesday, July 31 at 2:45 p.m. ET. The game will be live on USA network and Peacock.
