What we learned as Steph shoots well early, Team USA earns No. 1 seed.
Team USA needed at least a five-point win over Puerto Rico to secure the Olympics men’s basketball No. 1 seed.
They did that and more in a dominant 104-83 victory Saturday at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.
Warriors star Steph Curry, who has struggled thus far to find his rhythm in the Paris Games, hit some shots early but went cold again in the second half. But just as in the previous two Olympics contests, it didn’t hurt Team USA.
Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting, and Joel Embiid added 15 points. Kevin Durant contributed 11 points, and LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum each finished with 10 as the Americans showcased their superstar depth in a complete team effort.
Also, for the first time during these Olympics, Team USA coach Steve Kerr used every available player on his roster. Jrue Holiday sat out with an ankle issue, but every other American played at least 10 minutes, which should quell the criticism that dogged Kerr during pool play.
Curry and Kerr will see a familiar face in Tuesday’s Olympic quarterfinals, as Team USA will face Brazil.
USA vs. Brazil to start the quarterfinals means a Warriors matchup of Steve Kerr and Steph Curry vs. Gui Santos on Tuesday
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) August 3, 2024
Here are the takeaways from Team USA’s pool play-closing rout of Puerto Rico.
Steph heats up … for a bit
One game after he scored just three points on 1-of-9 shooting, Curry’s shots started falling again Saturday.
At least in the first half.
Curry still isn’t shooting lights out the way the world knows he can, but he had a promising run before going cold in the second. He scored five first-quarter points and knocked down a 3-pointer in the second quarter, giving him eight at the half.
After going 0 for 2 from deep in the third quarter, Curry was benched in the fourth with the Americans comfortably in the lead.
Ant Man dominates
If one guy knows how to get his team — and the crowd — going, it’s Edwards, as the Minnesota Timberwolves star’s energy radiated both on and off the court for Team USA.
Edwards shot 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, and added three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 26 minutes off the bench.
KD makes history
Olympics KD is a different breed.
With 11 points and four rebounds in the win, Durant became USA Basketball’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.
Durant shot an efficient 50 percent from the field (4 of 8) and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc (3 of 7), and added three assists and one steal in just under 19 minutes off the bench.
