The Bright Stars of South Sudan shined on their Olympic debut against Puerto Rico, while the USA’s luminaries made their statement as Group C got underway.
The African powerhouses, who only became members of FIBA in 2013, were nervous to begin with — trailing 28-20 after the first quarter —but found their feet and rose to the occasion, coming up with a convincing 90-79 success.
Carlik Jones led South Sudan with 19 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in an all-around masterclass, canceling Jose Alverado’s 26 for Puerto Rico.
Kevin Durant and LeBron James mesmerized Lille with a first-half performance that can only be seen in video games, and unfortunately for Serbia, they couldn’t switch it off.
At one point, Durant had an incredible 21 points in just eight minutes, while James, who, at 39 years old, is the oldest player to represent the USA men’s team, scored 12 points in 12 minutes.
Durant ended with 23 points on 8/9 shooting, while James had 21 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. Nikola Jokic had 20 points for Serbia.
The action continues on Tuesday, with Group A and Group B back in the picture. Full list of games here.
Photo: FIBA
