"Sheeeeeeeeesh K": Steph Curry left awe-struck by Kevin Durant's scintillating Olympic show for Team USA
Kevin Durant delivered a spectacular performance in Team USA's opening game at the 2024 Paris Olympics, leading the team to a commanding 110-84 win over Serbia. His fellow Olympian and former NBA teammate, Steph Curry, was among those who were astounded by his display.
Coming off the bench after recovering from a calf injury, Kevin Durant quickly made his presence felt by scoring 21 points in the first half, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the field, including five 3-pointers.
Steph Curry, who scored 11 points and grabbed three rebounds in his first Olympic game, expressed his amazement at Durant’s performance via Instagram. He shared a graphic of Durant’s statline with the caption:
“Sheeeeeeeeesh K!”
Kevin Durant's flawless first half set the pace for the game and highlighted his status as Team USA's all-time leading scorer in Olympic history. He finished with 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, along with two rebounds and one turnover.
This game marked a triumphant return for Durant, who missed all five of Team USA's exhibition games due to injury.
Kevin Durant, LeBron James propel Team USA to victory over Nikola Jokic's Serbia
Kevin Durant’s 23 points were complemented by LeBron James, who contributed 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Despite a slow start, Team USA led by nine points at halftime and maintained their lead throughout the second half to clinch their first win.
Team USA shot an impressive 62.3% from the field. Jrue Holiday poured in 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 24 minutes, while Devin Booker contributed 12 points, five assists and two steals.
Joel Embiid struggled and was the only Team USA starter who shot below 50% from the field, scoring just four points on 2-of-5 shooting and going 0-for-3 from the free-throw line. He also recorded two rebounds, one block and two turnovers.
Anthony Edwards added 11 points and five rebounds off the bench, and Anthony Davis chipped in with seven points and eight rebounds. Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton did not play.
Nikola Jokic led Serbia with 20 points, but the team struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just nine of their 37 3-point attempts. He played 30 minutes and 45 seconds, and in the nine minutes and 15 seconds he rested, Serbia got outscored by 26 points.
Up next for Team USA are two more group-stage games. They face South Sudan on Wednesday and Puerto Rico on Saturday.