Team USA may not always dominate this Olympic men’s basketball tournament for 40 minutes, but when they are clicking on all cylinders, it’s powerful stuff
The thee time defending gold medalists started the game sloppily again and fell behind Australia 41-26 with 5:23 to play in the first half, then went on an overwhelming 48-14 run to defeat the Aussies, 97-78, in the semi-finals in Japan Thursday. The USA will play France, which defeated Slovenia, 90-89, for the gold medal.
Kevin Durant, who is the American’s greatest Olympian since Kobe Bryant in 2008, was spectacular again, scoring 23 points, grabbing 9 rebounds with two assists, two steals and a block while single handedly keeping Team USA competitive in the first half when it appeared no one else could make a shot, The versatile 6-10 forward from the Brooklyn Nets, who shot 10 for 19, was the dominant force on both sides of the ball, providing the smaller Americans with a rim protector on the defensive end, which is where Team USA ultimately won this game.
Durant, who scored 30 points in the USA’s gold medal games in 2012 and 2016, has awakened to once again become the dominant player on this team. He scored 23 points on 8 of 11 shooting with eight rebounds, six assists and one block in the final prelim matchup against the Czech Republic, then had 29 points, two rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block as the Americans rallied from another double digit first half deficit to blow away Spain in the third and fourth quarters.
After missing its first 10 threes and making just 2 of 14 against the well coached Aussies, who had been the best defensive team in the tournament coming into this game, Team USA went from being down 45-42 at half to take over the game with a 31-6 third quarter that included a 20-0 run. The Americans shot 7 for 14 from the three in the second half, with Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum heating up off clean looks.
Booker, a 6-6 guard from the Phoenix Suns who scored 20 points, is the best mid-range shooter on the team but he looked like he had problems regaining his touch after participating for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA finals. He was shooting just 39 percent in the team’s first four games before this game, made 7 of 10 shots and was 3 of 5 from the three. All three of Tatum’s field goals were threes.
Team USA just has just too much talent and depth for the competition. They shot 51.4 percentage and made nine threes in the game.
“They hit us with a nice punch,” Durant said. “We knew that team was gong to get us down early and see how we’d respond. A lot of teams are expecting us to fold early,” Durant said. “We had a lot of guys with straight faces when we were down 15. Strong faces is what Pop said.”
Australia found out the hard way. “In the locker room at half, it was how bad to you want it,” Australia forward Nick Kay said. “And we came out with the same intent we had in the first half. We didn’t do it at the same level. It’s unfortunate. The Boomers will get a chance to win their first Olympic medal ever when they play Slovenia and Luca Doncic for the bronze
Guard Jrue Holiday helped the USA take over the game with his perimeter defense, limiting Australia’s Patty Mills, who scored 23 points and had been such a big factor in Australia’s upset win over the USA in an exhibition game to just 15 points on 5-of 14 shooting. Holiday, who also played in the NBA finals has been the American’s second best player since he arrived in Japan at 1 in the morning, the day of Team USA’s opening game against France after a 16 hour flight from Seattle. The NBA all defensive player constantly put pressure on the Aussies, finishing with 11 points, eight assists, eight rebounds, two shots and a blocked shot.
Australia had beaten the USA in two straight exhibition games in 2020 and 2021, but the Americans improved to 9-0 against the Aussies in Olympic competition.
“We came here with one goal and that’s to win a gold medal and now we’re in a position to do that,” USA guard Dame Lillard said.
