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Bam Adebayo scored at will -- inside and out --
and helped Anthony Davis make life difficult for Serbian star
and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Davis had six blocks,
including a pin off the glass at the 8-minute mark in the fourth
quarter that preceded a standing ovation.
Adebayo had 17 points and eight rebounds, while Steph Curry had
18 points in the first half and finished with six 3s and 24
points.
Team USA made 16 of 36 shots from 3-point range.
Jokic was 6-of-19 shooting and finished with 16 points.
Curry corralled a loose ball and with a lightning release from
the left wing, splashed his fifth 3-pointer of the game to
inflate the US advantage to 90-61.
LeBron James then emphatically stamped a right-handed slam off a
lob from Adebayo.
The next possession was a highlight reel of dribbling and
passing that ended with another Curry 3, followed by James
getting downhill and powering for a lefty finish and 31-point
lead.
Jokic touched the ball on nearly every possession and implored
teammates to dig in defensively to no avail. He spent the fourth
quarter seated, with Serbia and the US to meet again in the
first Pool C game for both countries in the Olympics on July 28.
Shooting and depth stood out as the US gathered around Jokic on
the defensive end and spread the ball around with extra passes.
Adebayo drained a 3 from the top of the key to push the lead to
81-55 late in the third quarter.
Team USA ended the first half with a finishing kick sparked by
high-energy defense and led 59-45 thanks to the bench outscoring
the starters, 30-29.
Curry rattled off a solo run of nine consecutive points at the
midpoint of the second quarter and Anthony Edwards nailed a 3 to
give the US a 47-40 edge with 4:14 left in the half.
Adebayo polished off a 13-2 run with consecutive baskets
bookended by a pair of Davis rejections in the lane. After Davis
altered another Jokic shot to start the break, Edwards flushed
one to extend the lead to 56-42.
Team USA plays two more games before the Olympics begin with
pool play this month, with South Sudan up next Saturday in
London.
--Field Level Media [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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