Team USA’s first game against Serbia was a memorable one despite its lopsided nature. While the team clinched a dominant 110-84 win over Nikola Jokic’s squad, Kevin Durant’s comeback performance prompted a lot of applause. When he was recently asked to comment on his near-perfect shooting showcase, KD humbly shared the credit with his teammates.
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Durant came off the bench in the first quarter and dropped 21 points by the end of the first half. The most impressive part of this was his perfect 100% shooting accuracy. KD shot eight of eight from the field and five of five from the three-point line for his 21 points in the half. He ended the game by adding two more points to his tally, but that was more than enough for the dub.
However, KD isn’t willing to take full credit for his performance as it was a team effort in his opinion. In a clip recently uploaded on USA Basketball’s X profile, KD can be seen talking about the Serbia game. During a break in between practice, he said, “I just credit that to my teammates, you know. Swinging me the ball, finding me when I’m open, cutting for me to get open, screening for me, it’s on me to finish.”
🗣️ @KDTrey5 on his return to the 🇺🇸 #USABMNT lineup & perfect first-half performance against 🇷🇸 Serbia.#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/QdGJtJtUD4
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 30, 2024
Apart from the fact that KD’s performance secured Team USA’s chances of winning the game, it was a special outing for him for one more reason. This was his first game in months.
KD was out of the loop due to his injury, and he even missed all the exhibition games on the road to Paris. But when it was his time to show up, he showed up.
Although he shared the credit with his teammates, it was KD’s lungs that were being tested. The two-time NBA Champion said that the rust from not being active played a role initially but he soon overcame it and found his rhythm.
KD said, “It felt amazing. My lungs…they went through it. But the more I play the better I get, man.”
It’s great that Durant is not only back to on-court action but he’s also sweating it out in practice. Because tonight’s game for Team USA is going to be against South Sudan, the team that almost handed them a heartbreak in their exhibition matchup.
