Team USA men's basketball falters despite Holiday, LaVine contributions
Even with reinforcements, the Americans couldn't get the job done in Japan.
Team USA men's basketball dropped its Olympic group stage opener to France 83-76 on Sunday, losing its third game this month and first in Olympic play since 2004.
In its two exhibition losses in Las Vegas, the Americans were down three players who were still competing in the NBA Finals. After that, Bradley Beal failed his COVID-19 test and former Bruin big man Kevin Love withdrew with a calf injury. JaVale McGee and Keldon Johnson eventually came in as replacements, while Devin Booker and recent NBA champions Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday arrived just in time for the game against France.
Team USA was the heavy favorite to take home the gold despite all the roster reshuffling, and they looked like it when they went on a 16-4 run late in the first quarter to go up by nine.
Holiday was the first sub off the bench, entering the game in the first after fellow UCLA alum Zach LaVine picked up an early foul. The Bucks guard made an impact by drawing offensive fouls, hauling in offensive rebounds and tossing alley-oop lobs, and he ended the game as the Americans' leading scorer with 18 points.
LaVine scored eight points of his own, fifth-most on Team USA. Three of those points came off a clean drive-and-kick assist from Holiday in the second quarter, one of his team-high four dimes.
The pair of Bruins combined for 26 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two turnovers on 42.1% shooting from the field and 50% from 3.
The rest of Team USA was not as efficient, however.
All other Americans combined to shoot 34% from the field and 22.7% on 3s. Outside of Holiday, the bench shot 21.1% overall and 14.3% from deep.
Team USA had more made 3s, assists, steals and blocks than France, as well as fewer turnovers, but losing the rebounding battle and shooting 19.5% worse on 2s sank the Americans. A 46-37 halftime lead didn't last long, as France won the third quarter by 14 – a quarter in which Holiday and LaVine combined to shoot 1-of-5.
The Americans stayed in it, though, and even led 74-67 with 3:18 to play. LaVine and Holiday were both on the court for Team USA's late-game collapse, with the former getting subbed in with just under eight minutes remaining and the latter playing the entire fourth quarter and scoring 12 in the period.
Evan Fournier, who plays for the Boston Celtics, led all scorers with 28.
Next up in Group A play for Team USA is a matchup with Iran on Wednesday at 9:40 p.m. (PT). The Americans need to finish first or second in their group in order to clinch a spot in the knockout stage, but could still advance if they are one of the two best third-place finishers.
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