Even Nikola Jokic, the MVP of the National Basketball Association (NBA), could not stop LeBron James and Kevin Durant from playing. With Durant recovering from injury, the U.S. basketball team's offensive has become more powerful.
The U.S. national basketball team easily defeated Serbia 110-84 in the men's first Group C match of the 2024 Paris Olympics held at Pierre Morua Stadium in Paris, France. It was the first game that was different from the previous pre-tournament evaluation matches against South Sudan or Germany. 바카라사이트
The U.S. team, which is trying to win its fifth consecutive Olympic title, is also called the "Dream Team" as it consists of top NBA players including LeBron, Stephen Curry, Durant and Joel Embiid. For Durant, who missed five warm-up matches due to injury before the tournament, the game was his debut on the stage this summer.
Durant, the gold medalist at the 2012 London, 2016 Rio de Janeiro, and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is aiming for the fourth consecutive gold medal in basketball history. LeBron, who won the bronze medal at his debut Olympics in 2004, won the gold medal at the 2008 and 2012 competitions, but did not participate at the Rio and Tokyo competitions.
Opponent Serbia is also a strong team with "Basketball Doctor" Jokic, who is ranked fourth in the FIBA rankings and three-time NBA MVP, holding out, but was completely defeated by the U.S. by 26 points.
The U.S. scored 23 points (2 rebounds), with Durant scoring all five 3-point shots, and LeBron also scored 21 points (9 assists, 7 rebounds).
In Serbia, Jokic worked hard with 20 points (8 assists, 5 rebounds), but there was no player to support.
Along with the U.S. and Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico belong to Group C. The U.S. will play the second match against South Sudan on August 1. South Sudan defeated Puerto Rico 90-79 on the day.
