It’s still a mystery. Superstar Kevin Durant showcased a pitch-perfect performance right from the word go. While his teammates played five exhibition games and still struggled to find their rhythm back, KD played his first game directly at the Olympics, as he missed the warm-up games with a calf injury. However, it didn’t matter as the superstar was on song, sinking 5/5 from the perimeter, leaving Nikola Jokić & Co. gasping for breath. Now that Durant is gearing up for the next challenge, he opened up about his blitzkrieg performance.

Ahead of Team USA’s upcoming match-up against South Sudan, a camera followed KD at the practice facility in Paris. The Slim Reaper, drenched in sweat, walked through the formula behind the 23-point outing against Serbia. 3x Olympic gold medalist said, “It felt amazing. My lungs were (huge gasp!) going through it. But the more I play, the better I feel. I just credit that to my teammates, you know, swinging me the ball, finding me when I am open, cutting for me to get open, screener for me, and always want me to finish.” 

Before taking on the Serbian side, Kevin Durant suffered a 0-4 embarrassing series loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves in April. Following that, he may have had intense practice sessions, but nothing matches with game experience. Moreover, KD injured his calf during his preparations for the Olympics, rendering him absent during all the pre-Olympic games.

Nevertheless, the Phoenix Suns shrugged the dirt off his shoulder before clocking in against Serbia. Steve Kerr kept it a secret from hoop fans and deployed the superstar most unexpectedly. With around 2 minutes left in the first quarter, Durant clocked in and sunk his first three-pointer, clean as a whistle, within 17 seconds. Then there was no looking back. He finished a perfect 8/8 in the first half, scoring 21 points. However, in the second half, KD missed a bucket and unfortunately couldn’t end the game with 100% FG.

Kevin Durant adds flavor to the clash against South Sudan

After a shocker in London, Team USA can’t take the East African side lightly. That exhibition game against South Sudan had multiple tales surrounding it. First, the inspiring story of South Sudanese, making their way to the first-ever Olympic appearance.

In fact, the team’s coach Royal Ivey, former OKC Thunder teammate of Kevin Durant. Second, the team’s fighting spirit almost helped them win the game against the 16x Olympic gold medalists. And, last but not least, Gilbert Arenas’ controversial xenophobic rant after the game.

Importantly, the upcoming match-up will also have the same impact but with an additional Durant flavor.

KD spoke multiple times about the South Sudanese side on this tour, especially because of his friend’s effort to build a strong team. Ahead of the London game, Durant said, “They’ve built up who they are right now, and having an opportunity to represent their country in the Olympics is amazing.” While one might expect KD to change after the shocker, he didn’t.

And this is him at the press conference ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony, “Secretly, I am rooting for him just a little bit,” speaking about his friend, Ivey. So, what’s your take? Do you think Team USA can weather the South Sudanese storm once again? Let us know in the comments.

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