The United States men’s basketball team went 3-0 in group play, producing the highest point differential (+64) and earning the top No. 1 overall seed in knockout play.
Team USA followed that up with a dominant display against Brazil in a 122-87 win in the quarterfinals. Kevin Durant became the all-time leading scorer in USA basketball history, registering 11 points on Tuesday in Paris, giving him 494 in his Olympic career, surpassing Lisa Leslie’s 488 points.
The Celtics’ backcourt shined in the victory: Jrue Holiday, who started after missing Team USA’s 104-83 win vs. Puerto Rico on Saturday due to an ankle injury, contributed nine points, three assists, and two blocks.
Derrick White stuffed the stat sheet, generating five points, four assists, the second-most on the U.S. side behind LeBron James, four rebounds, and two rejections.
Jayson Tatum finished with five points and three rebounds. He also had an assist, swiped a steal, and chipped into Boston’s triumvirate combining for five of Team USA’s seven blocks. And he capped the first half in style, throwing down an alley-oop on a dime from James on a sideline inbound.
Next, Team USA will face Serbia in a semifinal matchup on Thursday. Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic led the Serbian men’s basketball team to a 95-90 overtime win against Australia on Tuesday, generating 21 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.
Thursday’s tilt between Team USA and Serbia will tip off at 3 p.m. EST.