Team USA is heading to the Olympics quarterfinals after a 104-83 blowout against Puerto Rico on Saturday at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.
Head coach Steve Kerr assembled a new starting lineup for each of the team’s three matchups last week against Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico, reflecting the Americans’ dominance and adaptability with foreign competition.
Kerr benched Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum in last Sunday’s game against Serbia, a strong defensive and sophisticated offensive team. Against South Sudan — a much younger and faster-paced team — Kerr left Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid on the bench and adjusted the starting lineup from one of power and size to one better suited for South Sudan, which included Tatum and Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis.
“[South Sudan] is the fastest team in the tournament we were going to play and we wanted to match up,” Kerr said on Wednesday via The Athletic. “The defense was fantastic tonight. The defensive effort was the key to the whole thing.”
Team USA’s adjusted lineup and fast-paced defense proved beneficial, and the team pulled off a strong victory against the South Sudanese. It was a stark contrast from the teams’ showcase game on July 20, when USA pulled off a narrow 101-100 victory against the same team.
Kerr adjusted the starting lineup once again for Saturday’s game against Puerto Rico, his fifth opening lineup in the past seven games. Player flexibility and comfortability shined on the court and displayed Team USA as a well-balanced team with six players scoring in double-digits, something the team has accomplished in each game of group play.
“We got two different units that play two different ways, but we’re all on the same page,” Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant said on the court after Saturday’s game.
It’s been a week of record-breaking for the “Slim Reaper,” whose four boards against Puerto Rico surpassed Carmelo Anthony’s record for Team USA, as Durant now has 126 career rebounds. Durant is also just six points away from tying four-time gold medalist Lisa Leslie’s all-time scoring record of 488 points.
Puerto Rico claimed the first quarter with an early 11-0 run, propelling them to an eight-point lead by 2:12. A timeout from Kerr and a jumper from Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards stopped the bleeding, but USA continued playing catchup for the rest of the period.
The U.S. trailed by four at the end of the first, but a replaced starting lineup and a new on-court dynamic left the Americans with continuous unanswered baskets. A collective effort from the bench players created an 8-0 run that secured a game-lasting lead for Team USA.
“I think our talent took over in the second quarter and we started to wear them down,” Kerr said on Saturday via NBA.com. “Our defense kicked in and we had a great quarter in which we opened up the game.”
The U.S. closed out the quarter with an assertive 18-2 run, outscoring Puerto Rico 39-16 in the period. The Americans demonstrated balance on both sides of the court, shooting 54% from the field and limiting Puerto Rico to just 29%.
This chokehold didn’t stop at halftime, though. Team USA pinned Puerto Rico to a mere 14 points in the third quarter, and despite shooting 1/10 from the 3PT, the team maintained its comfortable lead throughout the fourth. Edwards finished his 17 minutes of play with 26 points and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James made his impact across the score sheet with 10 pts, six rebounds and eight assists.
Team USA capitalized on Puerto Rico’s defensive transition struggles, forcing 16 turnovers and scoring 22 fast break points.
“[The U.S.] play to their strengths,” Oklahoma City Thunder and Team Canada guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said to NBC correspondent Mike Tirico on Saturday. “They’re obviously very talented, very deep. You almost have to make no mistakes and play a perfect game when you play against them.”
Team USA finished group play 3-0 in Group C with a plus-64 point differential. The only two other undefeated teams, Germany and Canada, earned point differentials of plus-47 and plus-20.
The “win or go home” series begins Tuesday. Team USA will play Brazil in the quarterfinals at Bercy Arena in Paris, France at 12:30 p.m PST.
“We’ve seen almost everybody, but we haven’t seen Brazil, and that’s our focus,” Kerr said on Saturday via fiba.com. “We’ve gotta be ready, they made 18 threes yesterday and they are the best offensive rebounding team in the tournament, so we have to be ready.”