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Jordan Gets First Taste Of USA Action Vs. Argentina

LAS VEGAS – DeAndre Jordan donned a Team USA jersey in a live action game against an opponent other than his own Olympic team for the first time ever Friday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Jordan finished with six points, six rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in 16 minutes of action in his first exhibition game for Team USA, which cruised to a 111-74 win against Argentina.

“It was super exciting just to finally be able to play against some more competition besides ourselves in practice,” Jordan said.

The peculiar feeling playing alongside guys who’ve always been rivals takes a second to get used to, as Jordan found out when he said he secured a rebound and nearly second-guessing a pass to Carmelo Anthony at one point in the night.

But Jordan still came out of the gates quickly.

DeMarcus Cousins started at center and finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds, but Jordan received early action, checking in at the 6:23 mark in the first quarter and making an immediate impact for reasons beyond his defense. With a quick put back and then a dunk while absorbing a foul, Jordan put Team USA ahead, 13-3.

He added another tip-in soon after, giving him six of his team’s first 15 points as USA quickly stormed ahead. After just a quarter, Jordan already had six points, three rebounds and an assist, and Jordan and Cousins combined for 13 of USA’s 32 points.

“These guys are just so talented,” Jordan said. “We’ve got a great group of guys, great character guys, so it’s real fun to play with them.”

Kevin Durant led the way with 23 points, followed by 18 from Paul George and 17 from Carmelo Anthony. Durant, Anthony, Cousins, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson were the starters for Team USA, and Thompson said the respect the Olympians have for one another helps make NBA rivalries take a backseat, as weird as it may be initially.

“We know what we’re playing for,” said Thompson, who added nine points. “It’s fun. We compete against each other so much that it’s cool to come together and play for our country. Not a lot of athletes get that opportunity.”

Argentina couldn’t handle the size of USA, which took a 32-14 lead after the first quarter and comfortably sat ahead by 23 points after the first half. The U.S. kept the lead at that mark after three quarters and cruised in the fourth.

“It was fun,” Jordan said. “We’re just building our camaraderie and jelling a lot more. I’m looking forward to playing again.”

He won’t need to wait long.

Friday’s game followed a week’s worth of Team USA training in Las Vegas, and the U.S. Olympians will return to the court Sunday, as they head to Los Angeles for an exhibition game against China.

For Jordan, that means playing in a familiar place at STAPLES Center.

“I’m really excited about that,” Jordan said. “For us to have an opportunity to continue to get better on this journey and to play in front of our home fans is going to be cool.”