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Team USA suffers shocking exhibition basketball loss to Nigeria
By Ryan Gaydos
Published July 10, 2021
Team USA suffered a tough pre-Olympics loss to Nigeria on Saturday night, 90-87.
It was the first of five exhibition games for the U.S. ahead of the Tokyo Games in a few weeks. The U.S. previously beat Nigeria in the 2012 Olympics, 156-73. Team USA had never lost to a team from Africa before Saturday, according to the team’s website.
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Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum headlined the Olympic roster. Durant, who is fresh off of an early playoff exit with the Brooklyn Nets, finished with 15 points.
He started slow, making only two of his first 11 shots on the night, according to ESPN.
Nigeria won big from beyond the arc.
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The team was 20-for-42 threes in the game, according to ESPN.
The U.S. had been 54-2 in exhibition games coming into the Nigeria matchup. The U.S. was No. 1 in the FIBA rankings. Nigeria was No. 22.
The Nigerian Olympic roster has five NBA players on it. Gabe Vincent, who plays for the Miami Heat, had 21 points. Caleb Agada, who plays in Israel, finished with 17 points.
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The U.S. will play Australia on Monday. The U.S. starts its Olympic schedule on July 25 against France.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/team-usa-exhibition-basketball-loss-tnigeria