Team USA men's basketball delivered a strong message to its doubters on Wednesday, crushing Iran 120-66 in their Group A encounter in the men's basketball competition at the Tokyo Olympics. It was a huge victory for the Americans, who were coming off a shocking loss to France in their opening group game.
That defeat ended Team USA's 25-game streak in the Olympics and gave even more pressure to a side that has not been playing well of late. The Americans have lost three of their previous five matches, entering Wednesday's clash against Iran.
Popovich makes changes after loss to France
Gregg Popovich decided to shake things up for the United States, inserting Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker into the starting lineup against Iran. Both players came off the bench in the loss to France as they arrived just a day before the group opener due to the NBA Finals.
That move worked wonders for the Americans, who led by as much as 33 points in the opening half before entering the break with a 60-30 advantage. Team USA shot 56.8 percent from the field in the first half, including 50 percent from beyond the arc. Team USA got a major boost from its faster lineup, scoring 19 fastbreak points in the first half alone. They finished the game with a comprehensive 38-5 edge in that department.
The Americans continued their dominance in the second half as they stretched their advantage to 57 points at one stage. Six players scored in double figures for Team USA in the one-sided win with Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard leading the way.
Lillard scored 21 points in the contest as he went 7 of 13 from the three-point area. Booker added 16 points while Jayson Tatum, Zach Lavine, and Khris Middleton scored 14, 13, and 10 points, respectively, for Team USA.
Kevin Durant moved ever closer to breaking Carmelo Anthony's scoring record of 336 points for Team USA in the Olympics. Durant scored 10 points in the win against Iran, pushing his scoring tally to 331 points. Durant suited up for Team USA in their gold medal runs in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Games.
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Team USA crushes Iran with red-hot 3-point shooting
The Americans were deadly from deep, going 19-of-39 from 3-point land. That's music to the ears of Popovich, who saw his side shoot just 31.3 percent from beyond the arc in the loss to France. Team USA punished Iran on the offensive end, recording 34 assists and just six turnovers. The Americans turned up the heat defensively, forcing the 23rd-ranked Iranian side to commit a whopping 23 turnovers.
With the win, Team USA improved its record in Group A to 1-1. The Americans can secure their place in the knockout stage with a victory over the Czech Republic on Saturday. The Czechs dropped to 1-1 in Group A after losing to leaders France, 97-77.
In Group B, Australia remained unbeaten after an 86-83 win over Italy. Joining the Italians at 1-1 were the Germans who defeated Nigeria, 99-92, in the other Group B match.
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