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Behind another outstanding performance from Kevin Durant, Team USA went on a 48-14 run to turn what was a 15-point deficit in the first half into an 97-78 win over Australia in the semifinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
With 5:23 left in the second quarter, Dante Exum’s layup gave Australia a 41-26 lead. At the end of the third quarter, it was 74-55 Team USA. The Americans missed their first 10 three-point attempts, but finished 9/28 from downtown after getting better outside looks by driving to the rim more effectively.
Kevin Durant was the superstar again, eviscerating Australia at will on clearouts whenever the US needed a basket. He led all scorers with 23 points on 10/19 shooting despite being just 1/7 from three-point range, and also led in rebounds with nine. Devin Booker added 20 points on 7/10 from the field, while Patty Mills likely finished his last chance for a gold medal for Australia by leading his team with 15 points.
The United States will play the winner of France and Slovenia at 10:30 p.m. Friday in search of their fourth-consecutive gold medal. Team USA has now won a medal in all 15 Olympic basketball tournaments.
Team USA covered the 12.5-point closing spread at DraftKings Sportsbook, their fourth-consecutive cover in Tokyo.