Jayson Tatum spent the week leading up to Team USA’s first scrimmage carrying over his message from the Celtics’ championship season. It doesn’t matter who starts, he said, and if the talented collective the Americans organized to avenge last summer’s poor World Cup showing could all sacrifice, they’d win another gold medal.
Despite Kevin Durant (calf) sitting out and Kawhi Leonard backing out of the Olympics on Wednesday, Tatum came off the bench in favor of Jrue Holiday in Team USA’s first exhibition leading up to the Olympics. While Holiday played a role reminiscent of the one he adapted to in Boston, Tatum thrived in an even more condensed version, attempting seven shots and focusing on defense, passing and driving. He didn’t attempt a three in the 86-72 win and Team USA won his minutes by 14 points.
The alignment of the Celtics helped the US manage early offensive struggles that put them in an 11-2 hole. They started 0-for-7 with a turnover, one of 11 in the first half before finishing 18-for-27 (66.6%) playing fast through different lineups. Holiday missed his first three-point attempt and grabbed a pair of rebounds before exiting with Canada up 12-4 when Tatum entered for the first time. Tatum shot 4-for-4, starting with a driving make and finishing the quarter with a breakout layup through contract. He stopped Kelly Olynyk in the post and fed Anthony Davis for a finish inside while the US cut the Canadian lead to 21-14.
Tatum wasn’t immune to some of the offensive stagnancy and sloppiness that marked the start to the game, falling during one transition and giving the ball away. Olynyk hurt the US with a 3-for-3 start and Dillon Brooks engaged in a pair of shoving matches with LeBron James early while Anthony Edwards and Joel Embiid fell into isolation basketball early. A greater rhythm flowed into a 27-12 second quarter, Tatum leading Tyrese Haliburton with an outlet pass that turned into a skip pass to Edwards for two. The US grabbed four offensive rebounds on the following possession, flexing a greater strength in that area that Grant Hill stressed in building the team.
Before the game, Hill defended the decision to select Derrick White over Jaylen Brown to replace Leonard, citing a variety of roles needed and denying Nike had any role. White didn’t play Wednesday, but Holiday previewed their connective contributions with a pass through a tight window to Embiid underneath to tie the game at 23 before he blocked Nickeil Alexander-Walker on the other end and found Devin Booker in transition for the go-ahead bucket. The US never looked back, Embiid catching a pass from Steph Curry inside and flipping it to Booker in the other corner, forcing a Canada timeout.
Tatum returned with the US up by four, Holiday exiting after finishing a transition layup with his left hand trailing Curry. He went to the rim two more times, closing the half with a crossover to shake Shai Gilgeous-Alexander before spinning into a finish. The US led, 41-33.
JAYSON TATUM. 🔥🔥🔥
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A steadier ball-handling effort in the third quarter helped the US build its lead to 69-54, capped by an Edwards buzzer-beating three in the left wing. Curry hit back-to-back threes to begin the 28-21 frame, the second set up by a tip offensive rebound from Holiday with the shots separated by Curry’s driving and-one finish. He slid into a pose along the baseline, with the new-look US squad’s sheen growing more evident after the first. Tatum missed his first shot midway through the third before driving from the corner and dumping off a pass to Davis for a three-point play inside the moment Davis freed himself from his defender.
He picked up a block in the fourth quarter to finish 4-for-7, only shooting two-pointers, with two assists, a steal and a block. Holiday added a three in the fourth, shooting 5-for-8 with the two Celtics combining for 19 points. Team USA won Holiday’s minutes by four, separating by as many as 16 points in the fourth after Canada emptied its bench with 5:26 remaining. Edwards led the team with 13 points off the bench, Davis grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked four shots. Haliburton’s six assists led all passers. The US defense held Canada to 33.8% from the field and 21.2% from three.
“If we can commit to that defense,” Curry said after. “We’ll be fine against anybody.”
The US plays another pair of exhibitions next week in Abu Dhabi against Australia and Serbia on Monday and Wednesday. White will likely reunite with Tatum and Holiday there.
