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The win was a measure of revenge against a team that had upset
the United States at an exhibition game in Las Vegas last month.
The Americans, champions at the previous three Games, got off to
a rocky start, shooting poorly and racking up fouls that let
Australia build a 15-point lead in the second quarter.
But the U.S. team rallied in the second half, led by Durant,
opening with 12 unanswered points. A barrage of three-pointers
and dunks widened the point gap to 97-78 by the final buzzer.
"I've got to give credit to Australia, they came out and hit us
with a nice haymaker," said Durant, who in these Games surpassed
Carmelo Anthony as Team USA's highest Olympic scorer.
"We were able to get some momentum going to the half. Guys came
out with that intensity, man, we made shots as well," he said.
"I feel like everything aligned for us in that second half, and
that's who we are."
The United States will now face the winner of France versus
Slovenia for the gold medal match on Saturday. Australia will
play for the bronze the same day.
Athletes, officials and volunteers filled out the stands of the
Saitama Super Arena, north of Tokyo, in the absence of paying
spectators amid COVID-19 related curbs. An Australian contingent
pounded drums and a tambourine to cheer their team.
The Americans have historically been the team to beat, with 15
men's basketball gold medals since 1936.
But the team in Tokyo has proven to be vulnerable, dropping
two-straight exhibition games in July and suffering their first
Olympic defeat
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/
sports/basketball-czech-republic-beat-iran-basketball-begins-tokyo-2021-07-25
since 2004 against France earlier in the event.
It all, however, came together in the semifinals as Durant led
with 23 points. Three others were also in the double digits.
"They got a lot of firepower," said Australia's Matisse Thybulle,
who plays for the NBA's 76ers.
"We knew that if we gave them an inch they'd be able to take a
mile, so that's really just what happened."
(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
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