Superstars that excite haters and fans alike. LeBron James and Steph Curry proved once again why they are superstars.
On Jan. 18, the U.S. Men’s National Basketball Team defeated Serbia 105-79 in an exhibition game at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, by a 26-point margin.
LeBron James scored 11 points and dished out two assists in 20 minutes of action. It was a relatively modest output, but not bad considering the offense was in the hands of Curry (24 points in 21 minutes), who used his cavalry speed and hustle to open up lanes, 메이저사이트 especially whenever the USA was in a bad mood.
Curry shot an overwhelming 66.6 percent (6-of-9) from three-point range, and he also made 8-of-13 shots (not including free throws) with archer-like accuracy.
Curry opened the scoring just 20 seconds into the game with a three-pointer to start the first quarter. Marko Guduric aggressively matched up with Curry in a 1-1 matchup, but Curry answered with another 3-pointer just a minute later, assisted by Tatum.
LeBron James was equally dominant, using his physicality to overwhelm the defense and break the game open with mid-range scoring, even when his team was down 9-14.
Serbia continued to run away with the offense, led by Guduric, but the USA answered with a layup from Adebayo-Edwards. The first quarter ended 28-28.
In the second quarter, trailing 28-34, a hustle play by LeBron James broke the game open. A shot-painting behind-the-back from the wing, followed by a two-handed jumper while off-balance, all resulted in points. It was a performance that could have been worth more than three points if there was an art score.
After LeBron, Curry was next. With the game tied at 38-38, Curry drove into the paint on a solo dribble. It was one of the best hustle plays of the night, as he pushed Jokic, who was 20 centimeters taller than him, and then Michic into a physical struggle. On the very next possession, he drained a three-pointer over the defense.
The hustle continued and the score was 47-40 at halftime. With a seven-point lead at halftime, Team USA used Halladay-Adebayo and others to dominate under the basket to take a huge 25-point lead, 83-58, in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, which was more of a “garbage time” period, Team USA utilized its bench to add one more point to complete the 105-79, 26-point victory.
Serbia was led by ace Nikola Jokic with 16 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. It was another double-double after his last one against Australia, but he had to swallow his disappointment against the superstar-studded USA. However, the fact that they made just six of their 19 shot attempts was painful, with all four of their three-pointers missing the rim.