Team USA earns dominant win over Serbia and NBA MVP Nikola Jokić

By CNN Newsource

Published July 18, 2024 6:47 AM

By Matias Grez, CNN

(CNN) — Team USA put in a much improved team performance on Wednesday to earn a dominant 105-79 win over Serbia and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokić.

After an underwhelming win over Australia on Monday, USA big man Anthony Davis lamented the team’s lack of effort, but there was plenty of hustle on display against Serbia.

The giant duo of Davis and Bam Adebayo off the bench proved key in the victory, helping limit Jokić to a paltry 6-of-19 shooting night.

“We have plenty of guys who can score,” coach Steve Kerr said, per the NBA. “That’s not a problem for us. We want defense, defense, defense.

“Bam and AD together are really something, just the switching, but they can also protect the rim and be in a drop if we go to that coverage.

“The strength of the team is the depth, and so if we can play in four- or five-minute bursts of just playing intense defense, hitting bodies, rebounding being physical, then it makes sense to play that way.”

Steph Curry had a game-high 24 points that included 18 points in a scorching 11-minute stretch to start the game. Curry made six of his nine three-point attempts on a night the USA hit 16 shots from downtown.

An impressive Adebayo had 17 points and eight rebounds, while Anthony Edwards continues to prove a pivotal piece for the USA with 16 points and three steals.

Jokić registered a double-double but had an inefficient 16 points – including going 0-4 from three – to go with 11 rebounds.

“We’ve still got so much room to improve,” LeBron James said, per ESPN. “But we want to continue to get better and not waste opportunities, I felt like tonight we got better.”

The USA begins its Olympic campaign against Serbia on July 28.