RIO DE JANEIRO — Red, white and blase for one quarter, the U.S. Olympic team woke up and won with ease.
RIO DE JANEIRO — Red, white and blase for one quarter, the U.S. Olympic team woke up and won with ease.
Shaking off a sluggish, sloppy start and maybe some Brazilian boredom, the Americans regrouped in the second quarter and romped over Venezuela 113-69 on Monday, taking another step toward a possible third straight gold medal.
Kevin Durant scored 16 points and Carmelo Anthony 14 for the U.S. squad, which may have grown a touch overconfident following a 57-point blowout of China in its tournament opener.
The Americans were tied after one quarter, but turned up their defensive intensity, outscored Venezuela 30-8 in the second period and improved to 82-1 under coach Mike Krzyzewski.
“I think once we settled down, made our adjustments to the way they were calling the game, the way that Venezuela wanted to play the game, that second quarter we picked it up defensively and turned it around,” Anthony said.
It was similar to the meeting between the teams in Chicago on July 29, when the U.S. shot poorly and still won by 35 on their pre-Rio exhibition tour. Maybe this was a reminder that no team can be taken lightly — and there is little margin for error — once the Olympic flame is ignited.
“The game of basketball, everything’s not going to be easy,” Durant said. “We know that, even with this great team.”
The Americans continue pool play on Wednesday against unbeaten Australia. The Aussies, featuring five NBA players, four of them league champions, improved to 2-0 on Monday with an impressive 95-80 win over Serbia. Australia has never won an Olympic medal in men’s basketball.
Women’s basketball
RIO DE JANEIRO — Everywhere Sue Bird looks on the court, there’s someone in a U.S. jersey that can score. It’s a point guard’s dream.
From top to bottom this version of the American Olympic women’s basketball team is stacked with offensive weapons. And at the early pace they are scoring at the Rio Games, they might break the 1996 team’s record average of 102.4 points a game.
Diana Taurasi scored 13 points and Sylvia Fowles added 12 on Monday as the U.S. posted its second blowout in as many days, beating Spain 103-63 on Monday. That’s two consecutive contests the U.S. scored at least 100 points — the last time the Americans did that was in 2004.
“A lot of Olympic teams that I’ve been on have had offensive power, but now we go all the way down the line to the 12th player,” said Bird, who had nine points and five assists in the win. “And the minute you stop there’s no let-off. That person comes in and can do just as much offensively as the next. And also, we have our foot on the gas pedal.