The United States men’s basketball team survived a first-half scare vs. Australia in the first Olympic semifinal on Thursday, turning a 15-point second-quarter deficit into a runaway 97-78 victory. The Americans will play the winner of the matchup between Slovenia and France for the gold medal on Friday night, while Australia will face the loser for the bronze medal.
Kevin Durant, who has already etched his name in history as the United States’ all-time leading Olympic scorer, was spectacular again, keeping Team USA afloat when nobody else could get anything going. Durant finished with 23 points and was a switching, rim-protecting force on the defensive end, which is ultimately where the Americans won this game.
The U.S. men’s basketball team defeated Australia, 97-78, in a semifinal game at #Tokyo2020. The Americans will advance to the gold medal game, playing France or Slovenia. https://t.co/ecQyCsya5K
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 5, 2021
