Team USA is planning to start all-time leading scorer Kevin Durant against France during Saturday’s gold-medal game at the Paris Olympics, sources briefed on the decision told The Athletic on Friday.
Jrue Holiday is expected to come off the bench for the United States, those sources said.
Team USA is planning to start all-time leading scorer Kevin Durant vs. France in Saturday’s Gold Medal game at the Paris Olympics, per sources. Jrue Holiday is expected to come off the USA bench. pic.twitter.com/UrYgyhyTUY
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 9, 2024
Holiday started the last two games — against Serbia in a semifinal and Brazil in a quarterfinal — while Durant has yet to start in the Olympic tournament.
During the United States’ thriller against Serbia on Thursday, in which Team USA rallied to overcome a 17-point deficit, Durant played 24 minutes. He scored just nine points, but seven of those were in the fourth quarter as the U.S. made a furious comeback to win 95-91. Durant also contributed three rebounds and one assist in the win.
Steph Curry scored a game-high 36 points to help send the U.S. to Saturday’s final, where the team will compete for its fifth straight gold medal.
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Durant, 35, is aiming to become the first men’s basketball player to win four Olympic golds. During Tuesday’s win against Brazil, he passed Lisa Leslie for the most points in the Olympics by any USA Basketball player, male or female. He enters Saturday’s game with 503 points.
Through his five appearances at the Paris Games, Durant — a 14-time NBA All-Star — is averaging 20.5 minutes, 13.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
Holiday — a two-time NBA All-Star and three-time All-Defensive First Team honoree — has averaged 18.9 minutes, 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists through the tournament.
He did not play in the United States’ group-stage game against Puerto Rico, which the U.S. won by 21 points. Holiday logged minutes in Team USA’s other four games, including starting the last two contests and the team’s opening game against Serbia along with Curry, LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Devin Booker.
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(Photo: Aris Messinis / AFP via Getty Images)
