Damian Lillard scores 21 points as Team USA cruise past Iran for first win at Tokyo Olympics
With Damian Lillard's 21 points, Team USA rolled to a 120-66 victory over Iran to rebound from an opening loss to France at the Tokyo Olympics
By Brian Mahoney, Associated Press
Last Updated: 28/07/21 11:00am
Damian Lillard scored 21 points and Team USA rebounded from an opening loss with their first victory of the Tokyo Olympics, romping past Iran 120-66 on Wednesday.
Devin Booker scored 16 points and Jayson Tatum had 14 for the Americans, who had their 25-game Olympic winning streak snapped with an 83-76 loss to France on Sunday.
The U.S. not only bounced back with a win but did it in a Dream Team-type performance against an overmatched opponent, racing out for transition dunks and stepping back to knock down three-pointers.
The U.S. made 19 three-pointers and 23 of its 37 shots (62 percent) inside the arc.
It was a loud statement that might quiet some of the criticisms the team have heard right from the start of their summer, when they dropped their first two exhibition games.
Those came against a different calibre opponent. The Americans had played some of basketball's best, with games against Spain, Australia and Argentina - the Nos. 2-4 teams in the men's rankings - before facing the seventh-ranked French in the Olympic opener.
But Iran presented none of the problems of those contenders, a team that only earned its spot in the field in Tokyo by being the highest-finishing Asian team at the 2019 Basketball World Cup. The Iranians are ranked 23rd, ahead of only host Japan - which qualified for the Games automatically as the host country - in this 12-team field.
Lillard struggled and then stumbled in his Olympic debut, going 3-for-10 from the field before a costly fall and foul with 17 seconds left.
But he came out aggressively looking for his shot, a player known for his deep three-pointers in the NBA having it easy while shooting behind the closer international line.
He had six of the Americans' 13 three-pointers in the first half. All 11 U.S. players who played in the first half scored - late roster addition Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs did not play until the second half.
Former NBA center Hamed Haddadi scored 15 points for Iran (0-2).
The U.S. and Iran are long-time rival nations in the political arena but have little history in the basketball one. They had played only once before, a U.S. victory in the 2010 world basketball championship in Istanbul.
Players on both teams then - Kevin Durant was one of them - said it was just a regular game despite the history of tension between their nations and this game looked the same. Players exchanged cordial fist bumps and some pats on the arm before tipoff.
The Iranians would not be anywhere near the Americans much longer.
The U.S. led 28-12 after one and pushed the lead to 30 on their 10th three-pointer in 17 attempts to begin the game, making it 47-17 when Zach LaVine made his second in a row.
The U.S. play the Czech Republic on Saturday to close pool play, with a victory guaranteeing the Americans a spot in the single-elimination quarterfinals.
The Americans are probably through already no matter what thanks to what will be an enormous point differential as a result of this rout.
The U.S. probably do not care what type of team it came against. The Americans just needed to look good against somebody.
They came into the game just 2-3 this summer after splitting their exhibition games in Las Vegas before the loss to France. They had rarely looked sharp while navigating roster changes, a game cancellation for coronavirus safety concerns and the absence of Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Booker until the eve of their opener because those three had played in the NBA Finals.
Holiday, who was the best American player in the opener, and Booker moved into the starting line-up Wednesday.
