U.S. Rolls To Second Exhibition Win Over China

BY ESPN

Just two games into the U.S. basketball team's pre-Olympic tour, coach Mike Krzyzewski already sees the start of something big.

Kevin Durant scored 19 points, Klay Thompson added 17, and the Americans rolled to a second straight blowout exhibition victory 106-57 over China on Sunday. DeMar DeRozan scored 13 points in his hometown, and DeMarcus Cousins had 12 points and seven rebounds in the second stop on the five-city tour leading the Americans to Rio de Janeiro.

After opening their showcase tour by trouncing Argentina on Friday in Las Vegas, the U.S. team posted another rout at a packed Staples Center. The victory over an overmatched opponent was impressive, but Krzyzewski liked it more for the composed, cohesive manner in which the new teammates worked together.

"We should have won, but the way we won was excellent," Krzyzewski said. "We're really growing together as a group."

Krzyzewski is finding it difficult to disguise his early optimism, and he praised his players' work in their brief practice time together. Although still learning teammates' tendencies and solidifying player rotations, the U.S. squad looked remarkably connected for long stretches against China, which has no current NBA players.

Durant noticed, as did Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, who kicked the festivities off by blocking a shot on China's first possession and throwing down an alley-oop dunk on the Americans' first possession.

"We've only been together a week, but it seems like we've been teammates for years," Jordan said.

Jordan scored 12 points and led a strong defensive effort with three blocks for the Americans, who held the Chinese to 30.9 percent shooting. Krzyzewski believes the American team will excel at defensive switching because of its abundance of versatile players.