USA men’s basketball cruised into the semifinals of the medal round at the Olympics on Tuesday with a dominant 122-87 win over Brazil in Paris. The Americans built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and were not seriously threatened for the 40-minute contest against an overmatched Brazil squad.
Brazil used an 8-2 run at the start of the second quarter to stay within striking distance but the Americans landed a knockout punch from there, putting the game away for good with a 21-2 run to close out the frame, giving USA a 27-point lead at halftime. Brazil failed to muster any sort of comeback after that, allowing USA to secure a spot in the semifinals easily against Serbia on Thursday.
