"That's how special this is": Kevin Durant celebrates Team USA win as a mother Wanda watches beaming with pride
A thrilled Kevin Durant emerged after Team USA’s gritty comeback victory against Serbia on Thursday, a win that propelled them into the gold medal match and kept their hopes alive for a fifth consecutive Olympic gold.
Team USA had to dig deep, overcoming a 17-point deficit before tightening their defense and igniting their offense to shock Serbia in the final five minutes, securing a 95-91 victory.
Kevin Durant expressed how the team's unity and determination during the comeback made the night unforgettable.
“Everybody here, they'll never forget about this night. Everybody here will remember this night for the rest of their lives,” Kevin Durantsaid. “That's how special it is here. And because we came back and we showed how together we were in that fourth quarter.”
He underscored the significance of pulling off such a comeback while being far from home, pointing out the sense of togetherness and celebration among the team and their families.
“How can you not celebrate a win like that? Look at all [our] families. Look at this. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's what it's about…We all come together as one on the other side of the world like this.”
Despite the scare Serbia gave them, Durant said the win was worth celebrating as a special moment, even as they set their sights on the ultimate prize.
“Special tonight, man. So we got to celebrate. I'm not going to act like it's not, you know what I mean? I know we want to win the gold, but we got to celebrate the small moments, too.”
Kevin Durant's performance in the semifinal clash vs Serbia
Kevin Durant has been a reliable scoring option off the bench for Team USA in this year’s Olympics. In the semifinal game against Serbia, he contributed nine points and three rebounds in 24 minutes of play.
While his stats were modest, Durant, along with his Phoenix Suns teammate Devin Booker, sparked the comeback with consecutive 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter.
On the Serbian side, Nikola Jokic delivered 17 points, 11 , and five rebounds, shooting 7-for-17 from the field. Bogdan Bogdanovic led Serbia with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Despite their efforts, Team USA managed to overcome the 17-point deficit, largely due to Steph Curry’s 36-point explosion. The Americans surged in the final five minutes to clinch the win and advance to the gold medal match.
LeBron James also made history during the game by recording just the fourth triple-double in Olympic history, with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.