Team USA Basketball

Men's basketball got underway at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo on Sunday, and the slate was highlighted by France upsetting Team USA.

The Americans trailed by six entering the fourth quarter after mustering just 11 points in the third before charging back and building a seven-point lead. Team USA struggled mightily from the field late, however, and Boston Celtics wing Evan Fournier hit a go-ahead three with 57 seconds remaining to give France a lead it never relinquished.

The Czech Republic, Italy and Australia also got off to winning starts Sunday as they attempt to end the United States' run of three consecutive Olympic gold medals.

 

Men's Olympic Basketball Sunday Results

France 83, USA 76

Czech Republic 84, Iran 78

Italy 92, Germany 82

Australia 84, Nigeria 67

 

France 83, USA 76

Facing perhaps its biggest competition for gold at the 2021 Summer Olympics, Team USA faded late in an 83-76 loss to France on Sunday.

The Americans led by eight at halftime, but France turned the tables with a 25-11 advantage in the third quarter to carry a six-point lead into the fourth.

It looked as though the Americans had solved their shooting woes and were on their way to a come-from-behind win as they built up a seven-point lead in the fourth, but they went cold over the final three minutes, 41 seconds.

Thanks to a 14-0 run, France charged ahead and established an insurmountable lead in the upset win.

As Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium noted, the loss was Team USA's first at the Olympics in 17 years:

Team USA loss to France today is USAB’s first Olympic loss since 2004 vs. Argentina.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 25, 2021

As evidenced by the following tweet from CBS Sports HQ, Team USA has not been its usually dominant self since Gregg Popovich replaced Mike Krzyzewski as head coach:

Team USA with Gregg Popovich as Head Coach

2019 Pre-FIBA Exhibitions 3-1
2019 FIBA Bball World Cup 6-2*
2021 Pre-Olympic Exhibitions 2-2
2021 Olympics 0-1

*7th-place finish was Americans’ worst ever in a major tournament pic.twitter.com/P8i8Ol0JUI

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 25, 2021

Team USA shot just 36 percent from the field in the game, including 31 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, France connected on 47 percent of its attempts from the floor.

Led by Utah Jazz center and reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, France out-rebounded Team USA 42-36 as well.

The true standout for France was Fournier, who led all players with 28 points on 11-of-22 shooting in the game.

Team USA was led by Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, who paced the team with 18 points fresh off winning an NBA championship:

Jrue Holiday takes it to the bucket to reach 12 4th-quarter points!@usabasketball leads France by 2 with under 3 minutes to play at the #TokyoOlympics.

(📽️ - @NBCOlympics)pic.twitter.com/7GCc0UwtiR

— NBA (@NBA) July 25, 2021

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant found himself in foul trouble and played much of the second half with four fouls. As a result, Durant finished with just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

Team USA will look to get back on track Tuesday when it faces Nigeria, while France will look to build on Sunday's win against host Japan on Tuesday.

 

Czech Republic 84, Iran 78

Making its first Olympic appearance in men's basketball since Czechoslovakia split up into two nations, the Czech Republic got off to a winning start Sunday.

The Czechs overwhelmed Iran over the first three quarters, leading by 16 at halftime and by 21 entering the fourth.

Iran finally showed signs of life by outscoring the Czechs 32-17 in the final quarter, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

The Czech Republic benefited from balanced scoring, as Patrik Auda, Blake Schlib and Jan Vesely all scored in double figures.

Chicago Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky led the team with 34 minutes played, but he finished with just six points on 2-of-14 shooting. He did contribute in other ways, though, adding eight assists and eight rebounds.

Iran got a game-high 23 points from Behnam Yakhchalidehkordi, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Czech Republic's team effort.

While Iran shot better than the Czech Republic from the field, making 50 percent of its shots compared to the Czechs' 45 percent, the Czechs emerged victorious on the strength of forcing 21 turnovers and winning the rebounding battle 43-33.

Up next for the Czech Republic is France on Wednesday, while Iran will take on Team USA on Wednesday.

 

Italy 92, Germany 82

Despite trailing for most of the first three quarters against Germany on Sunday, Italy came from behind to win 92-82.

The Italians fell behind by 10 after one quarter and trailed by four entering the fourth, but they outscored the Germans 24-10 in the final quarter to secure the win.

Three players scored at least 18 points for Italy, and five scored in double figures. Simone Fontecchio led the way with 20, while Atlanta Hawks forward Danilo Gallinari added 18 points.

Maodo Lo was the star for Germany, scoring a game-high 24 points. Germany also received major contributions from a pair of NBA players in Washington Wizards guard Isaac Bonga and Orlando Magic big man Moritz Wagner as they scored 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Both teams shot the ball well Sunday in what was an offensive track meet. Italy shot 50 percent from the field and 48 percent from deep, while Germany shot 47 percent from the floor and 47 percent from long range.

Germany turned the ball over 14 times to Italy's nine, and the Italians held the advantage in points in the paint (30-22), points off turnovers (16-2) and fast-break scoring (13-8).

Italy will look to continue rolling Wednesday against Australia, and Germany will attempt to bounce back Wednesday against Nigeria.

 

Australia 84, Nigeria 67

In a battle between two teams that beat the United States in exhibition games leading up to the Olympics, Australia comfortably defeated Nigeria 84-67 on Sunday.

The game was tightly contested for a while, as it was tied after one and Australia led by three at halftime, but the Aussies pulled away late.

Carrying a six-point lead into the fourth, Australia outscored Nigeria 26-15 to put the game away.

San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills was the standout with a game-high 25 points on 7-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three-point range. Mills also chipped in six assists, four rebounds and four steals.

Australia also got 11 points out of Utah Jazz guard Joe Ingles and 11 points from former Jazz guard Dante Exum.

No one scored more than 12 points for Nigeria, although it did get double-figure scoring from four players.

Among them were Minnesota Timberwolves guard Josh Okogie (11 points), Miami Heat forward Precious Achiuwa (10 points) and Bucks guard Jordan Nwora (10 points).

Both teams shot the ball poorly at just 39 percent, but Australia made 46 percent of its threes and 89 percent of its free throws compared to 29 percent and 50 percent, respectively, for Nigeria.

They also struggled with ball-handling, as Nigeria turned it over 24 times to Australia's 21.

On Tuesday, Australia will face Belgium, and Nigeria will take on the United States.

Team USA forward Draymond Green credited the Milwaukee Bucks' Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton and the Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker for keeping their commitment to the U.S. for the Tokyo Olympics despite playing in the 2021 NBA Finals, which wrapped up Tuesday.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported the trio arrived in Japan via private jet around 11 p.m. local time Saturday night. The Americans open group play against France on Sunday at 9 p.m. in Tokyo (8 a.m. ET in the U.S.).

"I have a lot of respect for those guys for not only committing to do this but actually keeping their word," Green told Windhorst. "You're talking about three true professionals, three extremely competitive guys that wouldn't be on their way here if this didn't mean something."

Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich said Friday he expected Holiday, Middleton and Booker will be available for Sunday's game against France, the Americans' toughest foe in Group A, but he wasn't sure how much they would play given the quick turnaround and long travel.

"I have no idea [how to use them]. I'm not trying to be glib. I'm trying to be transparent," Popovich said, per Windhorst. "Maybe they'll be OK for the game [Sunday] and it'll hit them two days later. Maybe we should play them in the first half and see what they're like."

Ideally, Popovich would be able to get some key minutes from all three players against France and then give them some extra rest in what should be more straightforward games against Iran and the Czech Republic ahead of the knockout rounds.

That depends on whether the Americans can score a victory over a French squad led by Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum, though. Nothing is guaranteed after a lackluster set of exhibition games that included losses to Nigeria and Australia.

Green explained to Windhorst the three players from the Finals all had a reason to drop out, but the fact they all decided to show up for Team USA is a message to the rest of the roster:

"We could've very easily got to the last game ... and Devin Booker saying, 'Man, we lost, I'm pissed off, I'm out,' or Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday saying, 'We just won a championship, I want to celebrate and stay home with my family, I'm out.' It's on us to make sure that we do our parts to make sure they're rewarded with what they ultimately came here for, which is to help us to compete and win a gold medal."

The U.S., which has won the Olympic gold medal in men's basketball at the past three Games, is still the team to beat in Tokyo despite not looking dominant in the warm-up games.

That said, Holiday, Middleton and Booker will have to play key roles if the Americans are going to four-peat, so the coaching staff will hope they can hit the ground running after playing in the Finals.

USA Basketball will seek a fourth consecutive gold medal at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. The Americans have succeeded in winning the tournament in every Olympics since 2004, when they were relegated to bronze under the watch of Larry Brown.

This year, the team will be under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich after Mike Krzyzewski guided the teams in the last three Olympics.

The 2021 roster looks quite a bit different than the team that competed five years ago. Kevin Durant will once again lead the charge, but there are several first-time Olympians who will play important roles. That list includes Damian Lillard, Devin Booker and Bam Adebayo.

While it's an unfamiliar cast on the international stage, it will offer players like Lillard, who has been on fire with the team, the chance to shine.

The pressure to win will be real in Tokyo. Since NBA players starting representing the country, Team USA is 53-3 in the Olympics. The 2004 team was the only one to lose a game.

After a bumpy exhibition warm-up run, the stakes will be high. Here's a look at the complete roster.

               

Team USA Basketball Roster

• G Jrue Holiday
• G Keldon Johnson
• G Devin Booker
• G Zach LaVine
• G Damian Lillard
• F Khris Middleton
• F Kevin Durant
• F Jerami Grant
• F Draymond Green
• F Jayson Tatum
• C Bam Adebayo
• C JaVale McGee 

The basketball tournament will start with pool play, with the 12 nations placed in groups of four. The first three games on the schedule for Team USA will be against fellow groupmates, France, Iran and Czech Republic.

From there, the top two teams in each group will advance to tournament play. Here's what the schedule looks like, including the group play matchups.

           

Team USA Schedule

Sunday, July 25

France vs. USA, 8 a.m. ET

Wednesday, July 28

Iran vs. USA, 12:40 p.m. ET

Saturday, July 31

USA vs. Czech Republic, 8 a.m. ET

Tuesday, August 3

Men's Quarterfinals

Thursday, August 5

Men's Semifinals

Friday, August 6

Men's Gold Medal Game, 10:30 p.m. ET

Saturday, August 7

Men's Bronze Medal Game, 7 a.m. ET

          

Gold Medal Odds

• USA -320 (bet $320 to win $100)
• Australia +750
• Spain +900
• Slovenia +1500
• France +1600
• Nigeria +3000
• Argentina +3500
• Italy +4000
• Czech Republic +10000
• Germany +15000
• Japan +30000
• Iran +50000

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

            

Team USA comes into the tournament as the odds-on favorite to take home gold, but that's far from a guarantee. This team has already shown some cause for concern after it lost back-to-back exhibitions to Nigeria and Australia.

Losing to the team from Down Under is especially concerning as the Australians are among the underdogs with the shortest odds to pull off the upset.

The biggest hurdle standing in the way of Team USA as it prepares for a busy schedule is getting on the same page. Three of the 12 players (Devin Booker, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday) are fresh off the NBA Finals.

Popovich has been open about his uncertainty regarding the introduction of the trio in Tokyo.

"I have no idea [how to use them]. I'm not trying to be glib. I'm trying to be transparent," Popovich said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. "Maybe they'll be OK for the game [Sunday] and it'll hit them two days later. Maybe we should play them in the first half and see what they're like. Maybe they'll have to play."

They will be tested right away by a France team that isn't short on NBA talent. The French will feature Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum. They beat Team USA as recently as 2019, so it's far from a guaranteed win in the opener.

The Australia team that beat Team USA in exhibition play won't be going away, either. It is the most talented team in Group B and has plenty of NBA talent in its own right. Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes, Dante Exum and Patty Mills will lead the Boomers.

Looking at the tournament as a whole and forecasting a winner, it's difficult to pick against Team USA. Early struggles aside, it did rebound to beat Argentina by 28 going into the tournament.

Even if it was to drop a game to France early on, there would still be two games to come together against Iran and Czech Republic. Both should offer opportunities for a tuneup before another important game is played.

It might not be easy, but Team USA is the favorite to win for a reason.

Prediction: Team USA wins gold.

The men's Olympic basketball tournament in Tokyo is set to tipoff late Saturday night and early Sunday morning stateside.

The U.S. will be in pursuit of its fourth consecutive gold medal after going 2-2 in exhibitions leading up to the Games. It will be tested immediately in a pool-play game against a France team that features several NBA players.

The first day also features Australia, which is considered the biggest threat to Team USA's run for gold. Australia is set to start Olympic play against Nigeria.

Here's a look at the schedule for Day 1, including broadcast information and the latest lines. All games will be streaming on the NBC Sports App or Peacock. A tape delay of the United States game will be shown on NBC in the afternoon and NBC Sports Network in prime time.

                   

Day 1 Olympic Basketball Schedule

Saturday, July 24

Men's: Czech Republic (-17.5) vs. Iran, 9 p.m. ET (NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com)

           

Sunday, July 25

Men's: Italy (-5.5) vs. Germany, 12:40 a.m. ET (NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com)

Men's: Australia (-8.5) vs. Nigeria, 4:20 a.m. ET (NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com)

Men's: USA (-12) vs. France, 8 a.m. ET (Peacock, NBCOlympics.com)

Women's: Spain (-25) vs. South Korea, 9 p.m. ET (NBC Sports App, NBCOlympics.com)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

                     

Day 1 marks the beginning of pool play, with the top two teams in each group of four advancing. Two of the three favorites to win the three groups will be in action. The United States (-2000; wager $2000 to win $100) are the favorites in Group A, while Australia (-190) has the best odds in Group B.

Spain (-125) is the lone favorite not in action.

The United States' matchup with France will be one to watch. The national team will be looking to rebound from a disappointing showing in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, where they did not win a medal. France beat Team USA in the quarterfinals on their way to a bronze medal.

This version of Team USA looks much different. Khris Middleton, who logged 18 minutes, and Jayson Tatum, who got the DNP (coach's decision), are the only holdovers representing the team in Tokyo.

The France team, looks very familiar, though. It will be lead by Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum. All three made key contributions in the World Cup win.

Gregg Popovich's squad has received some reinforcements, with Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker and Middleton heading to Japan straight from the NBA Finals. The head coach isn't sure how he will help them acclimate, telling the Associated Press (h/t NBC Sports):

"I think it's going to be a little bit by the seat of the pants because there's no formula to go by. It depends how the team is doing and the condition of the players here, what we think we need. Our first game is France so we'll look in terms of what fits might work best, but it's not going to be like they're going to come and sit for a week and get ready."

Australia and Nigeria both picked up wins against Team USA in exhibitions leading up to the tournament. However, their exhibition against one another yielded a blowout 108-69 win for the Boomers. The team brings a wealth of international and NBA experience to the stage, with veterans like Joe Ingles and Aron Baynes flanked by young guns like Josh Green and Matisse Thybulle.

The most intriguing game of the day might be the Group B matchup between Italy and Germany. Italy got to the Olympics by upsetting Serbia in qualifying. Now, they add Danilo Gallinari to their ranks.

Germany will be without Dennis Schroeder but went 4-0 in qualifying. This is its first time since Dirk Nowitzki's retirement it has made the Olympic field after finishing 10th in 2008.

On the women's side, it's a relatively quiet day. Spain, which is ranked third in the world by FIBA, will open its Olympic campaign as the big favorite over South Korea in the only action of the day.

                        

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USA Basketball announced Wednesday that Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine has cleared COVID-19 health and safety protocols. He'll arrive in Tokyo on Thursday ahead of the Summer Olympics.

Team USA men's basketball opens play at the Games on Sunday against France.

LaVine joined the Americans' starting lineup for their last two exhibition games after the Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal entered COVID-19 protocols and was removed from the Olympics roster. The Bulls star tallied 28 total points in wins over Argentina and Spain.

The 26-year-old Washington native averaged 27.4 points, which ranked seventh in the NBA, along with 5.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.4 threes across 58 games during the 2020-21 season. He shot 50.7 percent from the field, including 41.9 percent from three-point range.

Despite LaVine's individual success, the Bulls haven't qualified for the playoffs since he arrived from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a June 2017 trade.

The UCLA product told Jamal Collier of the Chicago Tribune he wanted to bring a "winning mentality" back from the Olympics to Chicago.

"These are guys that have been around winning," LaVine said. "This will probably be the best team that I'll be around, so try and compete for gold, pick up little tricks and just that mentality of how they approach practice, pregame, things like that, talks in the locker room. All that stuff I'm trying to bring back and add some little extra ammo for my own well-being."

Team USA is the three-time defending gold medal champion in men's basketball at the Games, but losses to Nigeria and Australia in exhibitions leading up to the tournament raised questions about whether the U.S. could face stiffer competition as it attempts to four-peat.

LaVine should play a prominent role for the Americans, especially at the outset. He figures to share playing time with the Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker at shooting guard, but Booker may not be used extensively right out of the gate since he just finished the NBA Finals on Tuesday night.

The U.S. will play France, Iran and the Czech Republic in Group A play, which runs through July 31. The knockout stages begin Aug. 3.

USA Basketball reportedly selected JaVale McGee for its final roster spot at the Tokyo Olympics despite interest from the Houston Rockets' Christian Wood.

"Christian Wood would have come, but they went with JaVale McGee first," ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Tuesday on his Hoop Collective podcast.

The last frontcourt spot on the 12-man roster has become a major point of contention.

Kevin Love was initially selected despite an injury-plagued season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he withdrew from the roster last week, noting he wasn't at 100 percent coming off a right calf injury.

Several players were mentioned as potential replacements, including Wood, as Team USA worked to replace Love and Bradley Beal, who dropped out after entering COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Beal's spot went to Keldon Johnson, who'd impressed with the USA Select squad and played well after being called up to the main roster for an exhibition against Argentina. The San Antonio Spurs' rising star was one of the squad's best players in Sunday's final warm-up game against Spain.

The McGee choice was met with more resistance as he played a limited bench role during the 2020-21 season, which he split between the Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets.

"We decided that was the most logical and appropriate choice. Given the choices we had, he fit the best," Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters Sunday.

It's a comment that would have made more sense if the Americans were always seeking a rim protector for the role, but the original selection of Love suggested they wanted an offensive-minded player.

Wood averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.9 threes and 1.2 blocks across 41 appearances for the Rockets during the NBA campaign.

Ultimately, there's a precedent for taking a traditional center to round out the U.S. roster, with DeAndre Jordan and Tyson Chandler filling the role at the last two Olympics. It gives the coaching staff a defense-first post option for late in games that otherwise wouldn't be there.

Whether McGee was the right choice is up for debate, but criticism of the decision will fade away if the Americans walk away from Tokyo with another gold medal. It's an end result that isn't guaranteed after some lackluster showings in the exhibition games, though.

Team USA is dealing with another COVID-19 concern as the men's basketball competition in the Tokyo Olympics approaches.

USA Basketball announced that Zach LaVine was placed in health and safety protocols and was unable to fly to Japan with the team Monday. There is hope that he will eventually be able to join the Americans later in the week.

Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press initially reported the news, noting the Chicago Bulls star was in protocols for reasons "related to the coronavirus."

LaVine also addressed the development in a comment on his own Instragram post:

pic.twitter.com/mbGNEvzxlZ

— Mike McGraw (@McGrawDHSports) July 19, 2021

LaVine just played in Sunday's exhibition win over Spain and helped lead the offense in the fourth quarter on his way to 13 points, two rebounds and two assists. Alongside Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant, he can hit from the outside, attack the basket, get out in transition and soar above the rim.

This is yet another setback for a team that lost its first two exhibition contests to Nigeria and Australia and has dealt with roster upheaval.

JaVale McGee and Keldon Johnson replaced Bradley Beal and Kevin Love on the roster last week, and Jerami Grant was placed in health and safety protocols. However, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Sunday that Grant was "expected to be cleared from quarantine and will be available to travel with Team USA to Japan."

Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton have not yet joined the team because they are participating in the NBA Finals for the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks. That series could stretch to Thursday if the Suns win Tuesday's Game 6.

It has been anything but a smooth lead-up to the Games for the Americans, who are looking to win the gold medal for the fourth consecutive time.

Their first game of the Olympics is Sunday against France in Group A competition.

LaVine is coming off his first career All-Star season and averaged 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game for Chicago in 2020-21.

Team USA men's basketball needed a win, and it got just that with a 83-76 comeback victory over Spain in Sunday's exhibition contest at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Keldon Johnson and Zach LaVine led the way for the Americans in their final tune-up prior to the trip to Tokyo for the Olympics. An impressive showing from Ricky Rubio wasn't enough for the Spaniards.

This win was much-needed considering how up-and-down the transition into the Olympics has been for Team USA. It no longer has Bradley Beal or Kevin Love on the roster, and they were replaced by JaVale McGee and Johnson.

While McGee and Johnson are both solid players, they also don't exactly inspire visions of Dream Teams past with legends such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant taking the court.

Can't stop him.@KDTrey5 x 🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/sDyqdho8ih

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 19, 2021

Welcome to the squad Keldon Johnson 👏 pic.twitter.com/IQ4oACMYuC

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 19, 2021

What's more, Jerami Grant entered health and safety protocols and the team lost exhibition contests to Nigeria and Australia. The Americans have not been nearly as dominant as many expected considering they are three-time defending Olympic champions, and they are still playing without Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton because of the NBA Finals.

Spain is also traditionally one of the toughest international opponents, and its roster includes plenty of familiar names for NBA fans, including Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, Rudy Fernandez, Willy Hernangomez and Rubio.

Spain proved its mettle in the early going and took a 38-36 lead into halftime.

Team USA had no answer for Rubio early, as the point guard torched the American backcourt, got into the lane, drew contact and even hit a three while spearheading his team's attack.

It was the Durant and Lillard show on the other end, as they each had 11 points at intermission while no other American had more than four.

Dame for the lead 🎯 pic.twitter.com/D7bBN02Lpi

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 19, 2021

And then the Americans turned in arguably their best quarter in the entire run up to the Olympics to take a 57-50 lead into the fourth. Johnson was dominant and poured in 10 points in the third quarter alone by attacking the basket and unleashing his smooth shot.

He was the third scorer the team was looking for throughout the first half, but the defense was also much more active with Draymond Green and Jayson Tatum deflecting passes and cutting off driving lanes.

There wasn't much drama in the fourth quarter, but LaVine took over for stretches to extend the lead to double digits.

Stay clutch.@ZachLaVine x 🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/56Gt72EidQ

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 19, 2021

Like we were saying... https://t.co/D47G4Adgj4 pic.twitter.com/GRjxAJaNkz

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 19, 2021

The Chicago Bulls guard hit from the outside and threw down two of his patented dunks to ensure there would be no comeback for Spain.

Next up for Team USA is its first Olympic game against France in Group A competition next Sunday.

Jerami Grant will reportedly be cleared from quarantine in time to travel with Team USA to the Tokyo Olympics, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

Grant reportedly entered the health and safety protocols on Thursday and was quarantined in Las Vegas, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

While Bradley Beal was forced to withdraw from the team and was replaced by Keldon Johnson, Grant will seemingly get a chance to take part in the Olympics. The United States men's team has one more warmup game Sunday night against Spain and Grant is expected to dress, per Marc Berman of the New York Post.

The squad has its first game in the Olympic tournament on July 25 against France.

Grant is coming off a breakout season with the Detroit Pistons, averaging 22.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. While he has seen limited playing time with Team USA, including only eight minutes in the exhibition win over Argentina, he provides value with his scoring and versatility to play either forward spot.

The 27-year-old also spent the first six years of his NBA career as a role player with the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers, appearing in 35 playoff games. This experience should help as he plays in a roster filled with stars like Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum.

Considering the limited frontcourt depth behind Durant and Bam Adebayo, Grant's return could be huge as the team looks to win its fourth straight Olympics gold medal.

The United States men's basketball team needed help heading into the Tokyo Olympics, but New York Knicks star Julius Randle was reportedly not offered a roster spot, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Team USA had two late openings with Bradley Beal entering the health and safety protocols and Kevin Love dropping out due to injury. The squad announced Friday those spots will be filled by JaVale McGee and Keldon Johnson.

According to Berman, USA Basketball "heavily discussed" adding Randle but chose McGee due to his shot-blocking ability.

Johnson is less proven than other options, but he plays for USA head coach Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs and had already been practicing with the team in Las Vegas.

Randle was reportedly "amenable" to joining the team if asked, per Berman, but he was left out despite coming off a breakout season where he was the NBA's Most Improved Player.

The 26-year-old averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game this season, leading the Knicks to their first playoff appearance since 2013. After hitting 41.1 from three-point range this past season, Randle can also provide much of what the team was expecting from Love.

"His skill set is such that he can rebound, he can step out as a five-man and shoot the three, and that really gives us another tool that we can use," Popovich said of Love earlier this month when justifying the controversial selection.

Of course, scoring shouldn't be a problem for the Americans with elite offensive players like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and others on the roster. Randle would be another dangerous weapon, but the team would still be missing interior defenders besides Bam Adebayo.

McGee has averaged 3.2 blocks per 36 minutes over his career, significantly better than Randle's mark of 0.5. 

After the team's inconsistent play leading up to the Olympics, it appears Team USA is trying out a new strategy.