Team USA won their opening game in London, knocking off Tony Parker and Team France 98-71.
While the final score was impressive, the game itself? Not so much. Mike Krzyzewski's club seemed to struggle with the referees' interpretation of the game, drawing a slew of fouls in the first half, and had a lead of just one point after the first quarter. But when their threes are falling, Team USA is near-impossible to beat... and in the second half, those threes started falling.
Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James combined to hit 6 of 12 from long range, giving Team USA a big cushion and allowing Krzyzewski to empty his bench and give his starters extra rest in preparation for Tuesday's game against Tunisia.
The American team's depth will be key throughout this tournament, and that was obvious in yesterday's game. France has several top-level NBA players, most notably Tony Parker of the Spurs. But no team in London - or anywhere else, for that matter - has ball-handlers in the second unit that can match up with the likes of Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook. Team USA can step up the pressure against those second-tier guards, force turnovers and build up big leads in transition.
Of course, Parker wasn't really himself. He was caught in the crossfire during a bar fight involving Chris Brown and Drake a few weeks ago and needed surgery to remove shards of glass from his eye. That injury forced him to the sidelines for weeks, and he may not be back to full strength yet. He played 26 minutes, hitting just four of ten from the field and finished with 10 points, one assist and four turnovers.
- 2012 Summer Olympics -- Kevin Durant, U.S. drain 3s to pull away from France - ESPN.
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- Olympic Men's Basketball Standings, Schedule and Results
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