The United States men’s basketball team has a roster that somehow lacks both big men who can consistently rebound and perimeter players who can consistently hit threes. It can make for some long droughts and nerve-racking moments.
What it does have is Kevin Durant, however, and the Brooklyn Nets star and Seat Pleasant, Maryland, native is slowly taking over these Olympics. Durant poured in 29 critical points to lead the Americans to a come-from-behind 95-81 victory over Spain in a quarterfinal match-up here Tuesday. It follows a 23-point effort in a victory against the Czech Republic at the end of Group play.
The victory pushes the U.S. to a semifinal match-up Thursday against either Australia or Argentina. The U.S. has medaled in all 18 Olympics it appeared in and taken gold in 15 of them. “We are playing for a lot of people back at home and a lot of people around the world who support us,” Durant said on NBC. “Guys are laying it out on the line to win this. Guys are going to do whatever we need to win.”