Friday Bolts – 8.3.12

Coach K at the idea Team USA ran it up on Nigeria: “We didn’t play LeBron [James] and Kobe [Bryant] in the second half, and with Carmelo shooting like that, we benched him,” Krzyzewski said. “We didn’t take any fast breaks in the fourth quarter, and we played all zone. You have to take a shot every 24 seconds, and the shots we took happened to be hit. I take offense to this question because there’s no way in the world that our program in the United States sets out to humiliate anyone.”

Via NBCOlympics.com: “On Thursday, roughly 15 minutes before taking the court, May and Walsh were greeted by Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and James Harden on the warm-up courts outside the main beach volleyball stadium. The basketball players showed up to watch the greatest beach volleyball team ever. Then they found themselves trying to figure out how to block them, with a man advantage. The five athletes played a quick, impromptu game and the beach pros showed the basketball stars how tough it is to run around in sand. Durant — who has said he wanted to try beach volleyball — did record one block on Walsh, but it was after the women had already built a significant lead and were just toying with their millionaire opponents.”

KD once played center.

Filip Bondy of the NY Daily News: “Kevin Durant went to beach volleyball, jumped into the sand and started hitting the ball between matches. He was quickly told to take a seat. This isn’t America, apparently, so he can’t do whatever he wants.”

The new Thunder Girls have been announced.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com: “The upshot of all that is that Team USA’s 47-point rout of the Tunisians, which caused so much consternation because of the Americans’ extremely slow start and wayward early shooting, is starting to look like a quality win compared to the struggles of so many top contenders. The Yanks, furthermore, are now certain to hear and read, over and over, how they’re increasingly untouchable at London 2012. Unbeatable after shooting 71.1 percent from the floor overall and 29-for-46 from that irresistibly shorter 3-point line while racking up 41 assists and forcing 25 fatal turnovers. Unguardable, even.”

Some jokes about Serge Ibaka’s headdress.

Video highlights of Team USA’s win.

Sekou Smith of NBA.com: “Kobe Bryant (16 points) and Kevin Durant (14) kicked off the festivities, each of them connecting from distance in the opening stages of the game as the U.S. lead grew to double digits in mere minutes. By the time Anthony hit the floor late in the first quarter the tone had already been set. He just fed off of what was already done. He connected on three straight 3-pointers to finish the quarter and went right back at it in the second. He had 19 points at halftime and had drained five of his seven shots from long-range.”