High-flying Durant leaves foes in awe
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Mike Krzyzewski smiled and said the worst coaching move in the game is to take off Kevin Durant.
The American coach knows better than anyone that his superstar-short team needs the Oklahoma City Thunder sharpshooter in every attack if possible.
"We just tried to give the ball to him. Teammates were working for him. We just told him keep shooting and keep shooting," Krzyzewski said. "He's just an incredible shooter."
Durant took over when his teammates were struggling, scoring 17 points in the first quarter and lifting the US to a 23-12 lead.
When Lithuania fought hard and trimmed the deficit in the fourth quarter, Durant put on another solo performance with nine points in the closing minutes to seal the game.
Durant did not play at the World Championship four years ago in Japan, where a star-studded US lost to Greece in the semifinals and took third place.
Coach K was impressed by Durant's improvement in the past few years and praised his leadership.
"He's been working with national team in several summers in the past five years. He was almost selected for the Olympic Games. He's getting better and better," he said. "There is a lot of pressure on him. We are a young team and everyone is pointing to him. For all that, he responded well."
US forward Andre Iguodala said Durant's teammates also enjoyed watching the show.
"It's real fun to watch him play. Unbelievable," the Philadelphia 76ers star said. "He is one of the best scorers in the NBA. He's just 22. Think how good he could become after four years. He will get better and better."
Durant, whose 33 points led the US to an 89-79 quarterfinal victory over Russia, has left his opponents at the end of their wits.
"We tried to come back. From 19 points to 11 points in the last quarter, but we could not find solutions for their star, Kevin Durant. He's just unstoppable," Lithuania coach Kestutis Kemzura said.
Russia's American coach David Blatt is also among Durant's admirers.
"I'd love to see guys like Kevin to play in competitions," Blatt said. "I told the players, 'Don't give him the direct drive and don't give him clear space to shoot.' But that didn't work. That's the definition of a great player."
The weekend was not entirely joyous for the US, though, with Saturday marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks.
"It's an emotional day for our team. You remember over 3,000 people died on that day. It's a sad day for our country," Krzyzewski said.
"I have friends who were killed on that day. I have friends whose family was killed on that day. We have been playing very hard in this tournament so far. But today is an emotional day for us."
Forward Andre Iguodala said the players took the court with their country in mind.
"We talked about it yesterday actually. You know the 9/11. It's a tragedy" he said.
"We just want to come out play with our pride and take some heart. You know today's a significant day."
