United States made it two for two in their men’s Olympics basketball campaign with a 103-86 win over South Sudan.
Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat led the all-star Americans with 18 points, 14 of which came before half-time as they built up a lead South Sudan could not claw back.
Kevin Durant resumed his role off the bench, delivering his usual scoring punch with 14 points, while Derrick White contributed 10 points, along with three steals and a block, showcasing a series of outstanding defensive plays.
LeBron James, Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker were all among the points too, with each reporting double figures.
Took care of business ✅@usabasketball improves to 2-0 in the group stage!#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/YJNawFLTm6
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 31, 2024
It was the second recent meeting between Team USA and South Sudan, with the duo facing off in an Olympics warm-up clash that saw the favourites have to mount a dramatic second-half comeback.
But there were no such issues this time, with Steve Kerr’s NBA stars in relentless mood in their second game of the tournament in Paris.
The Africans did edge the third quarter 21-18 as they tried to keep their hopes alive but a 30-29 fourth quarter for the Americans ensured they can all but plan for the knockout stages and an assault of a fifth gold medal with a game to spare in Pool C.
South Sudan will need to win their final game against Serbia to seal their place.
