USA win gold at Basketball World Championships
The USA were crowned world basketball champions on Sunday for the first time in 16 years after defeating Turkey 81-64 in a one-sided affair.
Behind Kevin Durant’s 28 points the USA outscored Turkey in each quarter to win the tournament they haven’t been able to since 1996. Durant’s 28 earned him the tournament MVP award and helped set the record for most points in the tournament by a US player.
"Our only option was to come out here and get a gold, and it feels really good to bring this back home to the States," Durant said.
Lamar Odom added 15 points and 11 rebounds for team USA, helping the team win its fourth world championship gold medal. Many had doubted the USA’s credentials for the gold medal given the likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were missing but, according to Durant, that was just extra motivation.
“I think that was extra motivation. It was exciting to come out here and win and also to prove people wrong,” Durant said.
The Turks were led by Hedo Turkoglu of the Phoenix Suns, but not even his 16 points - 4-4 shooting from three-point range - could stop the Americans from winning gold. In fact Turkoglu was the only Turkish player to reach double figures.
Despite playing in Istanbul, the US overcame a tough home crowd establishing a five-point lead by the end of the first quarter. From then on the lead only grew and it was just a matter of seeing the game out.
Odom was clearly delighted to prove the doubters wrong.
"A lot of people thought we were undersized and we didn't have a centre, we didn't have too many big guys. People thought we were going to get killed on the inside, but we played tough, hung in there, and stayed strong, focused.
"This team had a lot of character and poise,” Odom said.
In spite of losing the final Turkoglu was pleased with the way the Turks played throughout the tournament.
"Nobody was expecting to be this far so I'm really happy, really proud."
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