Following a setback to France, the US has won two in a row and is now in the medal rounds.
The United States has recovered from a first-round loss to France to reach the Olympic quarterfinals in men’s basketball. Team USA has advanced to the medal rounds after defeating the Czech Republic 119-84. The quarterfinal opponent for the Americans is yet to be determined.
Kevin Durant eclipsed Carmelo Anthony for the most points scored and field goals made in US Olympic history during the game. On 8-11 shooting, he led Team USA with 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Jayson Tatum came off the bench to score 27 points (21 in the second half), with Devin Booker adding 11 and Zach LaVine adding 13. Tatum shot 10-15 from the field and 5-9 from three-point range.
Jerami Grant, a former Syracuse forward, barely played the final four minutes of the game. In the game, he had two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
The Czech Republic took a double-digit lead in the first quarter, but the US took control after that. As the US made a run to cut the gap in the first quarter, LaVine hit a pair of threes and the defense increased its energy to force mistakes. Despite this, the US was down 25-18 after the first quarter.
The United States seized command in the second quarter. Draymond Green made a pair of baskets, one of which was a three-pointer, to help cut the margin in half. Kevin Durant then scored back-to-back three-pointers to not only pass Anthony, but also to give the United States a lead they would never relinquish. The Czech Republic shot over 60% in the first quarter, but the United States played much better defense in the second and went into halftime with a 47-43 lead.
The outcome was never in doubt in the second half, and the Americans cruised to their second straight triumph. After outscoring the Czech Republic 35-17 in the third quarter, the United States went on a 16-2 run to take an 82-60 lead into the fourth quarter.
Many people were worried about USA basketball and its Olympic future after France won the first game. With two convincing victories, the United States has demonstrated that predictions of its extinction were premature. The United States trounced Iran 120-66 before defeating the Czech Republic on Saturday.