Olympics: Durant leads USA Into Basketball Semis, France, Australia advance
Kevin Durant scored 29 points to lead Team USA to a decisive 95-81 victory against Spain in the men’s basketball event at the Saitama Super Arena on Tuesday, earning a ticket to the semi-finals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Team USA were victorious despite a valiant 38-point effort from Spain’s Ricky Rubio. Spain had a 10-point lead late in the second quarter, when the Americans came roaring back.
Team USA have looked strong at these Games after the French handed them their first Olympic defeat since 2004. The Americans have historically been the team to beat, with 15 men’s basketball gold medals since 1936.
The United States will face Australia on Thursday. France, the team that humbled Team USA earlier in the tournament, will take on Slovenia, making an impressive Olympic debut.
“We drove it to the rim at the end of the second and were able to get our rhythm back a little bit,” said Durant, who is appearing in his third Olympics. “I like how we played from the end of the second quarter all the way up to finish the game, and that’s how winners play ball.”
“We got to finish it. You know, we’re supposed to be here. For us, it’s about getting the gold.”
Men’s Tokyo Olympics Basketball results
Slovenia to a 94-70 Germany
France 84-75 Italy
Australia 97-59 Argentina
USA 95-81 Spain
Chidi Nwoke/Reuters.
