Image: APA / AFP / THOMAS COEX
Top favorite USA has reached the quarter-finals in the men's Olympic basketball tournament. After their opening defeat against France and a clear win against Iran on Saturday in Tokyo, the Americans finished the Czech Republic with 119: 84. Superstar Kevin Durant set a new record. The 32-year-old became the best scorer in US Olympic history.
Durant got 23 points. With 354 points at the Olympic Games, he replaced Carmelo Anthony (336) as the US record holder. The best thrower against the Czechs was banker Jason Tatum of the Boston Celtics with 27 points in just 24 minutes of play. The Americans rose to second in the group behind France.
The French ended the group stage unbeaten like Australia. The Australians defeated Germany 89:76. The Germans slipped into the quarter-finals as one of the two best thirds in the group, despite two defeats – for the first time since the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The pairings of the first knockout round will be fixed on Sunday.
