With a dunk in the third quarter off a pass from Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant became the all-time U.S. Olympic scoring leader.
The 35-year-old Durant finished with 11 points as Team USA routed Brazil, 122-87, to advance to a semifinal matchup with Nikola Jokic and Serbia on Thursday. Serbia overcame a 24-point deficit to defeat Australia, 95-90 in overtime, for the greatest comeback in Olympic history.
France will face Germany in the other semifinal.
“I mean, that’s Captain America status,” Devin Booker, who led Team USA with 18 points, told Zora Stephenson of NBC Sports. “I feel like he has every record, every Olympic record, now we have to get him his fourth gold. That would be the most as a men’s player also, but he’s a hard worker, man. Now that I’m his teammate I get to see it behind the scenes and all he cares about is hoops. He loves it 24/7, that’s all he does.”
Durant entered the game with 483 career Olympic points, five shy of Lisa Leslie’s all-time mark of 488. He now stands at 494.
“With a healthy KD, we will not lose,” former Syracuse head coach and USA basketball assistant Jim Boeheim told NJ Advance Media ahead of the Olympics.
Anthony Edwards scored 17 points and LeBron James scored 12 points with nine assists before exiting the game in the third quarter after getting hit in the left eye while on the defensive end.
Anthony Davis scored 13 points with eight rebounds, and Joel Embiid tallied all 14 of his points in the first half.
“[Embiid] is so gifted, so talented, sometimes it comes a little too easy for him, but it’s good to see him get going like this,” U.S. assistant coach Mark Few said at halftime on NBC. “And I think our guys have done a great job of finding him and encouraging him. And I think it shows his multiple skills, too. He has 14 and he hasn’t even gone in the post yet.”
The U.S. is on the hunt for its fifth straight gold medal. Every other team left in is seeking a first gold medal in the event.
Paris Olympic men’s basketball remaining bracket
All times ET. All games at Accor Arena in Paris.
Semifinals
Thursday, Aug. 8
TBD vs. TBD: 11:30 a.m. | USA Network (Fubo), Peacock and NBCOlympics.comTBD vs. TBD: 3 p.m. | USA Network (Fubo), Universo, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com
Medal round
Saturday, Aug. 10
Bronze medal game: 5 a.m. | USA Network (Fubo), Peacock and NBCOlympics.comGold medal game: 3:30 p.m. | NBC (Fubo), Peacock and NBCOlympics.com
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.
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Publish date : 2024-08-06 10:11:00
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