LAS VEGAS – In their first game in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the U.S. men’s basketball team secured an 86-72 victory over Canada in an exhibition match on Wednesday.
Anthony Edwards scored 13 points, Steph Curry contributed 12, and Anthony Davis added 10 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks for Team USA. LeBron James also made an impact with seven points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 19 minutes, while Jrue Holiday posted 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
The U.S. is the favorite to win its fifth consecutive Olympic gold, while Canada’s NBA-studded roster, which includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, and RJ Barrett, aims for its first Olympic medal since 1936’s silver finish.
Team USA will continue its preparations with games against Australia (July 15) and Serbia (July 17) in Abu Dhabi, followed by matches against South Sudan (July 20) and Germany (July 22) in London. The U.S. will begin Olympic play on July 28 against Serbia.
Despite only four practice sessions together and facing a strong Canadian team, it was a promising start for Team USA.
U.S. coach Steve Kerr began the game with a lineup of James, Curry, Holiday, Devin Booker, and Joel Embiid, though the team initially fell behind 11-1. A second unit featuring Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, Davis, and Tyrese Haliburton sparked a 14-3 run, giving the U.S. a 28-23 lead.
The U.S. held a 41-33 lead at halftime and extended their advantage to 50-37 thanks to Curry’s scoring spree. Edwards’ buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the third quarter put Team USA up 69-54.
Showcasing their size and defensive prowess, the Americans outrebounded Canada 53-48, blocked nine shots, and limited Canada to 33.8% shooting. Team USA itself shot 50.7% from the field, despite only hitting seven of 23 three-pointers.
“It’s a good first game for us,” Kerr remarked. “We’re really just getting started – four days of practice. You could see the rust on the offensive end with a lot of turnovers in that first half, but I loved the defensive intensity and work on the glass. So, it was a good first effort, and we needed to set a tone for how we want to play, and I think we did that.”
Team USA played with a slightly reduced roster as Kevin Durant missed the game due to a sore calf, and Kawhi Leonard was replaced by Derrick White, who will join the team in Abu Dhabi.
For Canada, Barrett led the scoring with 12 points, while Dillon Brooks and Gilgeous-Alexander each added 10 points.