Team USA earned a 107-57 victory over China on Tuesday night in Kevin Durant's first game at Oracle Arena as a Warrior.
GAME LEADERS
After defeating China by 49 points on Sunday, Team USA did one better on Tuesday night, beating China by a score of 107-57 at Oracle Arena. DeMarcus Cousins led all players with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Carmelo Anthony added 20 points of his own. Klay Thompson totaled all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter, while Kevin Durant scored all 13 of his in the first half in his first game in front of his new home fans.
Neither Kevin Durant nor the Oracle Arena crowd could have asked for a better introduction. After Durant was serenaded with cheers as his name was announced just prior to tipoff, the new Warriors forward responded in kind, draining a three-pointer from the wing eight seconds into the game to open the scoring. The crowd didn’t have much time to recuperate from their initial celebration, however, as Durant would keep them cheering through the opening three minutes, scoring all of the first 10 points of the game for the U.S. National Team. At that point, the Americans led by four points, and they wouldn’t trail at any point in the contest. Team USA led 31-15 going into the second quarter, at which point DeMarcus Cousins began to leave his imprint on the game. Cousins would score five-straight points in a span of 70 seconds on his way to a total of eight points in the frame, giving him 10 going into halftime. Only Durant had more, whose three-pointer with 26.9 seconds left gave him 13 points in the half and Team USA a commanding 52-24 lead.
As the game advanced into the second half, the resident veteran on the American squad put on a display that got the crowd and his teammates on their feet. Carmelo Anthony opened the third quarter with a jumper and would go on to score a total of 16 points in the first five minutes of the frame, thanks in large part to four three-pointers. By the time he subbed out with 2:32 remaining in the frame, Team USA led 79-35, ensuring there would be no second half comeback. As the game wore on, the contest began to get a little sloppy, with frequent attempts for jaw-dropping plays. Durant got the crowd roaring once again, this time with an assist to Klay Thompson for a three-point play with 6:59 remaining in the game. Thompson would add a three-pointer four minutes later, finally getting one to fall after missing his first seven attempts on the night. Apparently he only needed to see one go in, as he’d go on to drain three of his next four three-point attempts of the game, raising the Oracle Arena crowd to their feet one last time. His final trey closed out the scoring and gave Team USA a 107-57 win, their second victory over China in a span of three days.
Now 3-0 in pre-Olympic play, the U.S. National Team will travel to Chicago for a matchup against Venezuela on Friday.