PARIS (dpa): The star-studded United States have started their men's basketball Olympic gold defence with a 110-84 win over World Cup runners-up Serbia at the Paris Games on Sunday.
The Serbians took a 10-2 lead less than three minutes into the first quarter of the Group C showdown. But the US stormed back with a 12-2 run to take a 14-12 lead and never looked back.
Kevin Durant and LeBron James led the way, scoring 21 and 23 points, respectively.
Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić recorded 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds for Serbia, but that was not enough to beat the US's NBA talent.
The US are chasing a fourth consecutive and a record-extending 17th overall Olympic gold.
Their next game is against South Sudan on Wednesday. Serbia will face Puerto Rico on the same day. - dpa
