Stephen Curry was rather quiet offensively during the United States Olympic team’s first two exhibitions before the Paris Games.
He became much more forceful on Wednesday, with his formal Olympic debut less than two weeks away.
Curry scored 24 points, Bam Adebayo added 17, and the United States defeated Serbia 105-79 to get to 3-0 in its five-game exhibition schedule ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Anthony Davis scored seven points, six rebounds, and six blocks, helping to lead the United States’ defensive effort, which hindered Serbia throughout. Anthony Edwards recorded 16 points, and LeBron James added eleven.
Stephen Curry Strong In US Men’s Basketball Team’s 105-79 Win Over Serbia In Olympic Warmup
Curry scored the first nine points for the United States in a frenzy that James admitted was intentional.
“We drew it up for that particular reason, to get him going,” James told me. “When he watches one go through the hoop, you can understand what it means for the rest of his game and the rest of ours. “He set the tone.”
The United States led by up to 31 points in the last two warmup games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Americans travel to London for two additional tune-ups before heading to France. The first game will be against South Sudan on Saturday, followed by a contest against Germany on Monday at London’s O2 Arena.
U.S. coach Steve Kerr is pleased with his team’s growth and believes its ability to overwhelm opponents with several defensive looks will be crucial.
“I think the identity of the team is our depth; the strength of the team is the depth,” Mr. Kerr said. “If we can play in 4- or 5-minute bursts of furious defense, hitting bodies, rebounding, and getting physical, that makes sense. We’ll see if we can keep doing it.
The United States had an erratic start before going on a 16-2 run in the second quarter to go up 56-42 and lead 59-45 at the half.
Serbia’s Nikola Jokic had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Aleksa Avramovic tallied 14 points. Serbia was playing its second game in two days after losing to Australia on Tuesday and resting captain Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Despite being without Bogdanovic for the second consecutive game, Serbia struggled offensively, shooting only 41% (29 of 71). The United States also enjoyed a 30-21 rebounding advantage. Adebayo and Davis combined for 14 rebounds.
“Bam and AD together are really something,” according to Kerr. “Just the switching, but they can also protect the rim and be in a drop if we go to that coverage.”
Wednesday’s game was a crucial preview for the Serbians and Americans, who will both compete in Group C at the Olympics. On July 28, they begin their searches for gold against one another.
FINISH STRONG
After nearly wasting a large lead in its tight victory over Australia on Monday, the United States did not falter this time.
After three quarters, the Americans led by 25 points, which they rapidly boosted to 30 in the fourth quarter.
LINEUP SHUFFLE
The United States used its third different starting lineup, featuring Curry, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid.
The only constants throughout the three exhibitions have been Curry, James, and Embiid.
One reason for Emiid’s inclusion on the squad was the U.S. coaching staff’s goal this cycle to fight larger teams such as Serbia, which has three 7-footers.
Embiid’s conditioning is still not at its optimum. He was active on both ends, finding cutters on offense and acting as a deterrent in the lane on defense.
Stephen Curry Strong In US Men’s Basketball Team’s 105-79 Win Over Serbia In Olympic Warmup
Energy Shifters
For the second game in a row, the United States reserves supplied a spark. Edwards, Davis, Tyrese Haliburton, Bam Adebayo, and Devin Booker entered the game for the first time with 4:54 left in the first quarter with a 16-13 deficit.
The United States outscored the Serbians 15-12 the rest of the period, tying the game at 28 entering the second quarter.
The American reserves scored 28 points off the bench in the first half.
STILL NO DURANT.
Kevin Durant sat for the third straight game as he recovers from a calf strain suffered early in training camp.
However, guard Derrick White debuted after joining the team over the weekend as Kawhi Leonard’s replacement. White recorded four rebounds and an assist in just over nine minutes.
SOURCE | AP
