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Brian Windhorst, ESPN Senior Author
LILLE, France — For 3 years, Staff USA has been planning, recruiting and refining to achieve this upcoming week in Paris. And so they’ve aligned issues in wonderful place to assert their fifth consecutive gold medal.
The staff took its last steps earlier than heading to the French capital on Saturday, ending off Olympic pool play 3-0 with a 104-83 victory over Puerto Rico to clinch the highest general seed within the medal spherical. That can start Tuesday, the place the U.S. will face Brazil within the quarterfinals at Bercy Enviornment.
“I feel we received finished what we needed to perform, profitable all three video games and securing the highest seed,” Staff USA coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “We all know we’ve to play higher. A part of this match is it will get more durable as you go.”
The traits the staff has been growing for the previous 4 weeks as soon as once more have been on show in entrance of 27,000 followers at Stade Pierre Mauroy.
There may be Kevin Durant, the devastating bench scorer.
Durant put up 11 factors in one more impactful reserve efficiency. He has 48 factors complete throughout the three video games in Lille and is now simply 5 factors from setting the all-time American Olympic scoring document, which is at present held by ladies’s staff nice Lisa Leslie.
And when it wasn’t Durant, it was his second-unit cohort Anthony Edwards, who put in 15 factors in his first 10 minutes on the ground and 26 for the sport on 11-of-15 taking pictures. His breakaway windmill dunk within the fourth quarter can be one of many lasting reminiscences from the USA video games in Lille over the previous week.
“I needed to dunk on anyone, however I ain’t received a lane but,” Edwards mentioned. “So I am glad I received that one.”
There was LeBron James, the timeless playmaker.
James began the previous two video games at level guard — Jrue Vacation sat out for precautionary causes with a minor ankle damage — and has performed his traditional table-setting sport. James had eight assists in opposition to Puerto Rico, ending pool play with 21 complete in three video games. He additionally scored 10 factors.
One in all his favourite targets has been Edwards, who James arrange a number of instances on Saturday.
“KD and Bron man, they’re the perfect two individuals. I imply, staff gamers. They at all times need to see the individual subsequent to him shine,” Edwards mentioned. “I advised Bron, ‘In the event you ain’t received no shot, I am going to discover one.'”
There was the second unit, the haymaker.
The People have been down by as many as eight factors within the second quarter when the second unit hit the ground Saturday. By the point they exited roughly eight minutes of sport time later, it has been rotated to a five-point lead. For the third straight sport, their first-half shift modified the course of the sport.
It was Anthony Davis, Derrick White and Bam Adebayo combining with Durant and Edwards on at the present time and that group is simply backbreaking on the worldwide stage. Their collective ball strain, rim protection and rebounding was simply an excessive amount of for Puerto Rico to deal with. Nobody has dealt with it but.
Staff USA is relying on these bench performances to proceed by means of subsequent week because it makes up the core of their sport plan. However there have been a couple of different initiatives happening as effectively. Saturday was a day clearly arrange for Joel Embiid to get some momentum. After struggling within the opener in opposition to Serbia after which sitting in opposition to South Sudan, Embiid had a dimension benefit and his teammates needed to ensure he received some touches.
The consequence was simply his greatest sport of the Olympics as he put in 15 factors with two blocks. He loved the interplay with the French crowd, which booed him once more for selecting to play for Staff USA, which Embiid inspired.
“On the finish of the day, I feel lots of people suppose it is hate. I see it as love and respect,” Embiid mentioned. “If I wasn’t an OK basketball participant, I’d not obtain that kind of therapy and so I see myself as being blessed and that is why I work together with them.”
Jayson Tatum, who spent the Olympic opener on the bench in a high-profile resolution, began his second consecutive sport and performed strongly with 10 factors, 10 rebounds and three assists.
Puerto Rico was led by New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado with 18 factors.
Now, any loss would value Staff USA the gold.
“We all know it should be troublesome, it should be difficult,” James mentioned. “We higher be able to go.”