The U.S began their men’s basketball gold medal defence with a 110-84 win over World Cup runners-up Serbia on Sunday at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The Serbians took a 10-2 lead less than three minutes into the first quarter of the Group C showdown, but it took the U.S a short time to storm back.
With a 12-2 run, they took a 14-12 lead and never looked back.
Kevin Durant and LeBron James led the way, scoring 21 and 23 points respectively.
Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić recorded 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds for Serbia, but that was not enough to beat the U.S who were simply brimming with NBA talent.
The U.S are chasing a fourth consecutive and a record-extending 17th overall Olympic gold.
Their next game is against South Sudan on Wednesday, while Serbia will face Puerto Rico on the same day.
(dpa/NAN)
