Team USA Olympic men’s basketball team showed class in an 86-72 win against Canada in an exhibition Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena.
Anthony Edwards led the U.S. with 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Steph Curry added 12 points and hit three 3-pointers. Anthony Davis made his presence felt in the post with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while LeBron James had 7 points on 3-for-7 from the field.
“It was a good first game for us,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re really just getting started — four days of practice.
“You could see the rust on the offensive end with a lot of turnovers in that first half especially. But I loved that defensive intensity and the work on the glass. It was a good first effort and we needed to set a tone for how we play and I think we did that.”
While they won the match, it was not looking their way in the first quarter. Canada led by seven points in the first quarter, but their lead did not last.
The Americans started the second quarter on a 7-0 run and never looked back.
“It was a slow start, which wasn’t surprising given that we’re just getting started here, but I love the second group,” Kerr said.
“Then the defense, picking up the pace for us in transition, made a few good plays there to really kind of jumpstart our offense and that got us into the game.”
Obama, who spoke with the team prior to the game, also received a loud cheer when he walked to his seat on the floor.
Curry said the former president was “really inspiring with his words.”
“It was cool to send us off into this journey celebrating 50 years of USAB and what we’re trying to do this summer,” Curry said. “I got goosebumps while he was talking. It makes you feel good about who you’re representing.”
The U.S. will begin their quest for another gold medal July 28 against Serbia, which features former NBA MVP Nikola Jokić. Unlike Wednesday night, it’s not a matchup they can afford to start slowly.
