Bookies listed Team USA as a 54-point favorite for yesterday's matchup against Tunisia. And despite another slow start, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love and company very nearly covered that spread, rolling to a 110-63 win.
Mike Krzyzewski's starting five - Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Tyson Chandler - stumbled out of the starting gate. They missed their first seven attempts from long range and were actually down 11-10 five minutes in. But when Coach K subbed out his starters for Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Andre Iguodala and Kevin Love, the momentum shifted completely. The subs took a 21-15 lead by the end of the first period and never looked back.
Anthony and Love scored 16 points each to lead Team USA. Every player on the roster scored; the 12th man - Anthony Davis - had ten points, all coming on dunks.
The slow starts are a worrying trend; that could become a problem against better competition. But Krzyzewski and the coaching staff have some time to make adjustments. Their next opponent - Nigeria, on Thursday - won't give Team USA much trouble, but the level of competition will increase significantly on Saturday, when they face Lithuania.
- Game Recap
- Box Score
- Olympic Men's Basketball Standings, Schedule and Results
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