Durant inspires USA in rout of Serbia to launch Olympic defence

Villeneuve d Ascq, France: Kevin Durant returned from injury to produce a shooting masterclass as the United States launched the defence of their Olym...

Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France: Kevin Durant returned from injury to produce a shooting masterclass as the United States launched the defence of their Olympic basketball crown with a 110-84 win over Serbia on Sunday.

Durant, who missed the entirety of the USA's Olympic build-up with a calf injury, shot a near-perfect 8-of-9 from the field to finish with 23 points in a convincing win for the reigning champions, who are eyeing a fifth straight Olympic crown.

The 35-year-old Phoenix Suns ace, the all-time leader for the USA in points, points-per-game and field goals, entered the game in the first quarter with the star-studded American line-up trailing 19-14.

The 14-time NBA All-Star, a member of the USA's gold medal-winning Olympic teams in 2012, 2016 and in Tokyo three years ago, then proceeded to take over, raining in a succession of buckets to get the Americans back on track.

LeBron James provided scoring support with 21 points, with Jrue Holiday adding 15 points and Devin Booker finishing on 12.