By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Paris, France – Rallying past Serbia in the fourth quarter, the United States progressed to the gold medal game of the 2024 Olympic Games. Stephen Curry scored 36 points, including nine three-pointers, all but saved the day on Thursday.
“That was a godlike performance,” reacted Kevin Durant, “He felt like he was struggling throughout the whole tournament and we always say this, each night it can be somebody different. And he showed up in a way that. God was with him tonight, he was with us tonight through Steph. And shot after shot, getting a steal at the end, finishing with the layup, he was everywhere. It was one of the greatest games I have ever seen him play.”
Durant, 35, was limited to 24 minutes by foul trouble. He contributed nine points, three rebounds, and one assist.
“I feel like I was floating in and out of the game,” he commented, “They did a good job of playing the zone and throwing this off a bit. But I just tried to stay into it defensively and I was able to knock a couple down in that fourth.”
Facing Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid tallied 19 points. “Incredible,” mentioned Durant, “He showed why he is one of the greatest ever to touch a basketball. He was finishing over the rim, knocking down shots, putting those guys in foul trouble.”
The team coached by Steve Kerr trailed for most of the 40 minutes with the deficit peaking at 17 points. At the break, Serbia was up 54-43.
“We just said we got to keep going,” Durant revealed the team talks during halftime, “They made some tough shots in the first half. They hit some bank threes, some fadeaway threes. Guys that had been making shots throughout the tournament, knocked some shots down. So, we tried not to get too discouraged, but in that fourth quarter, I mean, late in the third quarter, they hit us pretty hard. We were down but we just kept pushing. We knew our defense would win this basketball game.”
“Another dogfight”
Wrapping up the tournament on Saturday, the USA faces host France for the gold medals. At the individual level, Durant can become the first four-time Olympic gold medalist for the men’s program of USA Basketball.
“Just another dogfight,” predicted the experienced forward, “It is at their home, and we know how the crowd is going to be. That is going to be the most watched game.”
“I am excited for that, and we all are. Tonight was a great test for us and we know what we are made of. We know what we can do. We have been in the situation being down this big, this late, so we prepare for anything,” he added.
“We love playing for our country”
Representing the United States emerged as another topic of discussion with Durant highlighting several reasons to play for Team USA.
“I love representing our country. We all love representing our country. You see the pride about your country when you come and play in the Olympics,” he mentioned, “You see the pride and the service you have for their country. You see their fans singing their national anthem throughout the game. We played Brazil. You see their fans and the pride that they have for their country. We love playing for our country.”
“A lot of bullshit goes on in our country too, but there are a lot of great things that come from where we come from,” he continued, “We love that and we love the brotherhood that comes with the USAB. These experiences, we will remember them for the rest of our lives. So, we want to lock in and make the most of it. Especially in this time of the country’s history.”
Photo Credit: FIBA