“Kevin Durant, my God” – Australia coach Brian Goorjian analyzes Team USA’s decisive victory over Serbia in Olympic basketball.
dominated Serbia 110-84 during Sunday’s Paris Olympic group-phase clash. Among those seemingly mesmerized by the Americans’ performance was Australia coach Brian Goorjian, who raved about their abundance of offensive firepower.
Despite sitting out Team USA’s five-game pre-Olympic showcase schedule due to a calf injury, Durant didn’t skip a beat in his return. The three-time Olympic gold medalist tallied a game-high 23 points on 88.9% shooting in only 17 minutes off the bench.Meanwhile, superstar forward LeBron James chipped in 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, shooting 69.2% as the Americans cruised to victory. They overcame a strong performance from three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, who led Serbia with 20 points, five rebounds, eight assists and four steals, shooting 53.3%.
After the contest, Goorjian spoke with ESPN’s Kane Pitman about what stood out about Team USA’s decisive victory over a competitive Serbian squad. He first recognized Durant’s offensive brilliance, seemingly struggling to find the words to describe his standout performance. Afterward, he touched on the Americans’ immense star power.
With Sunday’s win, Team USA improved to 1-0 in Group C after finishing 5-0 in exhibition play. Meanwhile, Goorjian and Australia sit 1-0 in Group A after securing a 92-80 victory against Spain on Saturday.
LeBron James, Steph Curry on Kevin Durant and Team USA’s dominance against Serbia
After dispatching Serbia, LeBron James also praised Team USA’s depth. The four-time NBA MVP noted that it consistently allows different players to carry the team offensively, evidenced by Durant being its leading scorer off the bench.
Meanwhile, Durant’s former Golden State Warriors co-star Steph Curry touched on how badly Team USA needed the superstar forward’s bench scoring after its slow start.
On top of Durant and James’ big nights, the Americans, as a team, shot a hyper-efficient 62.3% and 56.3% from 3-point range. They will look to maintain their offensive dominance during Wednesday’s matchup against South Sudan, which nearly upset them (101-100) in exhibition play earlier this month
