2016 USA Basketball Showcase

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USA Beats China 107-57 at Oracle Arena

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Team USA earned a 107-57 victory over China on Tuesday night in Kevin Durant's first game at Oracle Arena as a Warrior.

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.

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Team USA Defeats China in Durant's Oracle Debut

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Durant and Thompson Catch Fire

Team USA moved to 2-0 in pre-Olympic play after defeating China 106-57 on Sunday night.

2016 USA Basketball Showcase at Oracle Arena

USA vs. ChinaTuesday, July 26 @ 7:00 p.m.

Team USA won its second consecutive Showcase exhibition game after defeating China 106-57 on Sunday night. The U.S. Men’s national team never trailed in the contest, building an early lead that they’d never relinquish. Kevin Durant scored a game-high 19 points to go along with five assists, while Klay Thompson wasn’t far behind with 17 points of his own.

None of the Warriors’ three Olympians started the contest, but they still managed to have a large impact in the early going. Team USA and China combined to make only three of their first 20 shots of the game, after which Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson checked in for the first time. 31 seconds later, Durant found Thompson for a three-pointer, and that seemed to open the floodgates. Durant would find DeMarcus Cousins on their next offensive possession for a three-point play, and follow that up with back-to-back three-pointers of his own to ignite an 11-0 run for Team USA. Durant and Thompson would then contribute assists on back-to-back Jimmy Butler baskets, as the two Warriors played an integral role in the U.S. Men’s National Team’s ability to open up a big lead early on. Durant, who was fouled on a three-point attempt with 4.2 seconds left, sank all three free throws to put Team USA up 26-13 at the end of one quarter. Thompson would then open the second frame with back-to-back treys, and the rout was on.

Draymond Green started the second half, and opened the scoring with an alley-oop pass to DeAndre Jordan. When he subbed out midway through the third quarter, his two Golden State teammates re-entered, and Thompson took the reins. His three-pointer from the corner began a stretch in which he’d scored seven-consecutive points for Team USA, giving them their largest lead of the game up to that point. Durant would add his fourth three-pointer of the night in the fourth quarter, tying him with Thompson for the game-high from long range. By the time it was all over, Durant and Thompson had the two highest point totals in the game, as Team USA ran away with a 106-57 blowout victory.

Up next for Team USA is a rematch against China at Oracle Arena on Tuesday night, in what should be a delight for Golden State fans, who will get to see their three Olympians playing together in-person for the first time.

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Durant, Thompson Lead USA Past China in Showcase Exhibition

Durant Leads USA Basketball Past Argentina

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Andy Fahey

Team USA defeated Argentina in an international friendly on Friday in preparation of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Kevin Durant shined in a game that the U.S. Men's National Team was able to dominate from start to finish. In the first game of their Showcase series in advance of the 2016 Olympic Games, Team USA was able to control the game, ultimately winning 111-74, backed by a game-high 23 points from Durant. In addition to Durant's scoring prowess, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green played significant roles in the victory which saw every member of Team USA make at least one shot.

The early stages of the game were paced by big men DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan as the team opened up 1-for-10 from deep. As the game wore on, though, players began to find their groove. Durant went 4-for-9 from three-point range, and scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help build Team USA's lead. Thompson, who started the game along with Durant, chipped in nine points and made a three-point field goal of his own.

Green had three points, three rebounds, and three assists in a well-rounded effort that he has become well known for. All of his rebounds came on the offensive end, including a pair on the same possession where he ultimately found Paul George open for a three-pointer. The game was comfortably in hand for Team USA from the early going, and they took a 32-14 lead into the second quarter. In that second quarter, Durant, Green, and Thompson saw significant run-time together, giving fans a preview of what's to come for the Warriors next season.

Overall, the length and athleticism of the U.S. team proved to be too much for Argentina to contend with. All three Warriors players held significant roles in the game, a trend that should continue throughout the upcoming Showcase games and eventually in the Rio Olympic tournament. The next Team USA game comes against Team China on July 24th, and Bay Area fans can catch the Warriors trio live at Oracle Arena on July 26th when they take on China once again.

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Durant Shines as Team USA Takes Down Argentina in Olympics Tune-Up

Warriors forwards Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green and guard Klay Thompson have been selected to participate on the 2016 USA Basketball National Team that will compete in the 2016 Olympic Games, which will be held from August 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

USA vs. ChinaTuesday, July 26 @ 7:00 p.m.Oracle Arena

Warriors forwards Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green and guard Klay Thompson have been selected to participate on the 2016 USA Basketball National Team that will compete in the 2016 Olympic Games, which will be held from August 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it was announced today. The Warriors are the only NBA team with three representatives on the Olympic squad.

In preparation for the Olympics, Team USA will play five domestic exhibition games as part of the USA Basketball Showcase, including a contest at Oracle Arena on July 26 (7 p.m. PDT). To purchase tickets visit usab.com/showcase.

Barnes, 24, appeared in 66 games (59 starts) in 2015-16 and averaged a career-best 11.7 points to go with 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 30.9 minutes. The fourth-year forward scored in double figures 42 times during the Warriors’ 73-win campaign, including six games with at least 20 points. Barnes has previous experience with Team USA as a member of the 2014 USA Men’s Select Team.

Green, 26, was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2015-16 and garnered First Team All-Defensive honors for the second-straight season. The fourth-year forward appeared in 81 games (all starts) and tallied career highs of 14.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists (seventh in the NBA) in 34.7 minutes. A first-time NBA All-Star in 2015-16, Green set the franchise-record for single-season triple-doubles with 13, topping Tom Gola’s mark of nine set in 1959-60. Green has previously represented USA Basketball at the 2011 World University Games in China and was a member of the 2014 USA Men’s Select Team.

Thompson, 26, earned Third Team All-NBA accolades for the second-straight season in 2015-16 after appearing in 80 games (all starts) and tallying a career-high 22.1 points to go with 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 33.3 minutes. The fifth-year guard shot a career-best 47.0 percent from the field while ranking fifth in the league in three-point percentage (.425), hitting a career-best 276 three-pointers (third-most in Warriors history). A second-time NBA All-Star in 2015-16, Thompson edged out his backcourt mate, Stephen Curry, to win the Three-Point Contest at All-Star Saturday Night in Toronto. Thompson won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2014 FIBA World Cup and 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship and was a member of the 2012 USA Men’s Select Team.

The 2016 USA Basketball National Team coaching staff features USA head coach and Duke University’s Naismith Hall of Fame mentor Mike Krzyzewski. Serving as assistant coaches are Jim Boeheim (Syracuse University), Tom Thibodeau (Minnesota Timberwolves) and Monty Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder).  A total of 12 nations will compete in the Olympic men’s basketball competition, including the USA, which earned its berth by virtue of claiming the gold medal at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

See below for a complete 2016 USA Basketball National Team roster:

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Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green & Klay Thompson to Compete with Team USA at 2016 Olympic Games

The USA Basketball Men’s National Team will play an exhibition game against China on Tuesday, July 26, at Oracle Arena.

The 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors announced today that the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase presented by Verizon featuring the USA Basketball Men’s National Team will make a stop at Oracle Arena for one of their exhibition games on Tuesday, July 26 against the 2015 FIBA Asia zone champ China. The 2016 USA Basketball Showcase presented by Verizon will feature a total of five exhibition games throughout the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago and Houston.

Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson are representing the Warriors on the USA Men’s Olympic Team. The 2016 Olympic Games men’s basketball competition will feature national teams from 12 countries, including the United States, competing Aug. 6-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Tickets for the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase presented by Verizon at Oracle Arena are on sale now.