Jayson Tatum took control of the Americans’ offense for a spell while Durant took a rest early in the quarter. When Durant returned, the two of them essentially took turns finding their shots.
Tatum finished the half with 11 points, making five of his nine shots from the field. Khris Middleton was the only other American player with a field goal in the quarter.
France took a timeout with about six and a half minutes remaining to try to sort themselves out. But it didn’t help much. Durant finished a two-handed dunk on the ensuing American possession, as the Americans kept attacking the rim.