Durant parachutes in as Team USA beats Serbia in group stage opener

Steph Curry led Team USA out of the tunnel for pregame warmups and Steve Kerr broke the team’s huddle in France.

But it was Kevin Durant, the former Warrior, who put on his cape to open the group stage of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics men’s basketball tournament.

Against three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Serbia, Durant dropped a game-high 23 points on nine shots. When the game was in the balance, in the first half when Team USA looked unsure of itself, Durant came off the bench and steadied them.

As two early fouls interrupted Curry’s rhythm and Kerr searched for a solution for how to correctly fit 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid into the lineup, Durant and LeBron James (21 points, nine assists, eight rebounds) carried the red, white and blue to a 110-84 win.

Team USA’s all-time leading scorer scored 21 points on a perfect 8-for-8 shooting in the first half alone. Durant drilled a fallaway to beat the halftime buzzer, a tough fadeaway in the lane and all five of his triples in nine minutes.

Durant didn’t start because of a calf injury that sidelined him during Team USA’s exhibitions. Kerr was put in the familiar position of how to re-acclimate Durant off calf issue.

But Durant showed no signs of any rust whatsoever. With his buzzer-beater, Team USA led Serbia, 58-49, after 20 minutes. The Americans hit 12 of their 18 first-half 3-pointers (67%) compared to only five triples for Serbia.

Before Durant’s explosion, Team USA fell behind early and then failed to gain separation.

Embiid recorded just two first-half points and got targeted by Jokic on defense. Jokic converted an and-1 in the post against Embiid and also drew him out to the perimeter for a 3. Embiid’s talent is undeniable, but Kerr and the coaching staff has struggled to create an ecosystem that works for both him and the rest of the team.

Early in the second half, Curry bumped knees with a Serbia defender he was setting a screen on. He limped around the court but stayed in the game.

That Curry got banged up setting a pick was apt. So much of Team USA’s offense revolves around Curry’s off-ball movement and the attention he attracts from defenses. One play, two Serbians closed out to Curry off the ball, leaving Jrue Holiday wide open under the basket for a layup.

Curry didn’t make a significant scoring contribution, but James stepped up in that department. Curry’s old Finals foe registered 18 points and eight assists on 8-for-9 shooting before the fourth quarter. His superb third period helped Team USA earn a 19-point lead.

Even as America grew its lead to an insurmountable level in the fourth quarter, Kerr kept Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton on the bench. Margin of victory matters in group play, so there’s no such thing as garbage time, but Tatum’s exclusion from the rotation will raise questions for Kerr.

What’s no concern to Kerr is the team’s chemistry. Players have had to sacrifice shots and roles, and there are as many egos on one team as possible, but there’s no indication that Team USA’s complicated history with each other has bled into their play. When Curry nailed a deep 3-pointer as the final buzzer sounded, he stuck is tongue out and looked to Durant, who danced in front of the bench.

Almost as if those guys were teammates once before.