Damian Lillard helped erase the memory of his dismal performance vs. France with 21 points in today’s game, as Team USA bounces back with a blowout win vs. Iran, 120-66. The victory was Team USA’s first of these Olympics, and it came as a nice comfort after they fell to France on Sunday after blowing several second-half leads. Early in, the United States steamrolled Iran, leaping out to a 28–12 first-quarter lead, increasing the score to 30 at halftime, and turning the last 20 minutes into extended garbage time. Iran supplied an easy win for the Americans, who are still attempting to gel together with a late-arriving lineup.
Team USA bounces back in a major way
All 12 American players scored four points or more, with Damian Lillard leading the way with 21 points. Lillard got the ball rolling early for Team USA, hitting six three-pointers in the first half. Jayson Tatum had 14, and Devin Booker had 16. Bam Adebayo and Kevin Durant each had three blocks. Off the bench, Zach LaVine had eight assists. Team USA went 17-for-18 from the charity stripe. In addition, the team made 55% of their shots from the field and 49% from beyond the arc.
The result was lopsided, and Iran never stood a chance, yet a few of its players put up strong performances. The only Iranian-born player in NBA history, Hamed Hammadi, recorded 15 points, six rebounds, and a block. Mohammad Jamshidi contributed 14 points and three assists, while Navid Rezaeifar chipped in with 12 points off the bench.
Despite numerous turnovers, Iran’s rotation players performed admirably. Their lack of depth, however, was revealed when four bench players went 0-for-13 from the field. The ability of Team USA to create turnovers allowed their speed to seize control in the open court, and Iran was completely overwhelmed.
Written by John Galietta
Instagram: @jgalietta17
Twitter: @jgalietta17
