Beaten by Nigeria and then by Australia, the United States dominated Argentina (108-80) in their third preparation match before the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Team USA has finally found the recipe to win, eleven days before its first match at the Tokyo Olympic tournament, against France. After losing 87-90 against Nigeria and 83-91 against Australia, the Americans largely won 108-80 against Argentina in the Las Vegas tournament, avoiding making history by becoming the first American team with NBA players to lose three games in a row.
They were however deprived of Jayson Tatum, touched in the right knee and whose situation will be evaluated “day after day”, and of course of Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker, still retained in the NBA Finals. Gregg Popovich’s men did not let Argentina, vice-world champion, hope for long. At the end of the first quarter, the score was already 33-19.
Then the Americans continued to widen the gap by winning the other three quarters (58-42 at halftime, 81-62 at the end of the third quarter), in the wake of a Kevin Durant and a Bradley Beal at 17 points each. Opposite, veteran Luis Scola (41) finished with 16 points and 5 rebounds.
?? #USABMNT jumped out to a big lead & never looked back in the 108-80 win over ?? Argentina@KDTrey5 & @RealDealBeal23 both tallied 17 PTS & 6 REB in the W pic.twitter.com/VJIX6MA9xy
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 14, 2021
Australia and Spain to finish
The most important thing is that we have to realize that this is not the NBA and Coach Pop continues to point out that every day. It’s much more physical. Guys are smarter. These guys have been playing together for five, ten and more years. So they have the experience and the chemistry and we are trying to develop that in a short period of time. Bradley Beal admitted after the game. The United States will play two more preparation matches, Friday against Australia and Sunday against Spain, still in Las Vegas.
American markers: LaVine (15), Durant (17), Adebayo (12), Beal (17), Lillard (13), Love (1), Green (8), Johnson (4*), Garland (5*), Bey (3*), Magette (3*), Jenkins (5*), Reynolds (5*)
* Complementary players present for the preparation but absent in Tokyo
