SAITAMA, JAPAN — It wasn’t just that the U.S. had been losing. It was that the level of play was practically un-American.
Playing passively and passing up open shots isn’t the way its players became basketball’s best. And when it resulted in them dropping their Olympic opener, the Americans decided to do something about it.
“After that loss we came together,” guard Damian Lillard said. “It was a lot of communication between then and now where it’s like, ‘All right. It’s time to start looking like Team USA.’”
Lillard scored 21 points and the Americans got back to winning — and winning easily — with their first victory of these Olympics, romping past Iran 120-66 on Wednesday.