Stephen Curry showed on Wednesday he is ready to take home his first gold medal.
The Warriors guard led Team USA with 24 points, including six three-pointers, as the Americans beat Serbia, 105-79 in Dubai. The exhibition game was a tune-up for both squads, plus a preview of the team’s first game of the Olympics, when Serbia and Team USA meet on June 28 in Lille, France.
The game was competitive early, thanks to some ball-hawking by Serbia and some sloppy passes by Team USA. But Curry scored 18 points in his first 11 minutes in the game, and by the fourth quarter, the game was a rout. The early turnovers were replaced by highlight-reel passing, like this no-look dish from Jrue Holiday to Curry.
Team USA also held three-time MVP Nikola Jokic to 6-of-19 shooting, though he still finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Coach Steve Kerr threw a lot of bodies at Jokic, with the duo of Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis being the most effective. Kerr was subbing in his bench lineup five players at a time, not likely the case during the Olympics, but the Adebayo-Davis duo looks like a keeper. Especially when Adebayo is also raining down threes.
Adebayo made three three-pointers, on his way to 17 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Davis finished with six blocks, including three in less than a minute late in the second quarter.
The only questions for Team USA involve the health of Kevin Durant, still out with injury, and Joel Embiid, who still looks slow recovering from his knee injury. But Adebayo and Davis are ideal insurance for the Sixers center. As for Curry, he’s proving that no matter what country he’s in, he’s still the best shooter in the world.
