US Dominates Puerto Rico 104-83, Claims No. 1 Seed Heading into Olympic Quarterfinals

Halfway to its gold medal ambition, the U.S. men’s basketball team has secured the No. 1 seed entering the medal round at the Paris Olympics. They will face Brazil in a win-or-go-home quarterfinal matchup in Paris on Tuesday.

In Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France, the Americans dominated Puerto Rico with a 104-83 victory on Saturday, solidifying their top spot coming out of group play. Anthony Edwards led the U.S. charge with 26 points, and six players achieved double-digit scores.

Joel Embiid contributed significantly with 15 points. Kevin Durant, scoring 11 points during the game, is now just five points shy of Lisa Leslie’s all-time Olympic scoring record for the U.S., which stands at 488 points. LeBron James added a well-rounded performance with 10 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in just 18 minutes of play.

Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis also each chipped in 10 points for the U.S. However, the team had to manage without Jrue Holiday, who missed the game due to an ankle injury sustained in their previous win over South Sudan.

With an unblemished record of 3-0 in the Olympics and 8-0 this summer, the U.S. men’s basketball team is poised and focused as they head into the knockout stages.