Inside The Celtics

Steve Kerr Explains Benching Jayson Tatum in Team USA's Win vs. Serbia

Bobby Krivitsky

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward Jayson Tatum (10) arrives for a game against Canada for the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward Jayson Tatum (10) arrives for a game against Canada for the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
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The USA men's basketball team opened pool play at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a convincing 110-84 win over Serbia. They outscored Nikola Jokic -- who finished with 20 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and four steals -- and Co. 52-35 in the second half.

Kevin Durant produced a game-high 23 points on 8/9 shooting, including a fadeaway buzzer-beater to put the United States on top 58-49 at halftime. The two-time NBA Finals MVP also earned a plus-20 plus-minus rating.

LeBron James nearly notched a triple-double, registering 21 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds.

But while the Celtics' starting backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White helped propel Team USA to victory, Jayson Tatum was a spectator.

Holiday, who started on Sunday, stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. White contributed two points, two thefts, an assist, and a block.

After the win, when Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe asked Tatum if he was sick, the five-time All-Star said that was not the reason for him spending the game glued to the bench, answering, "No, I'm good."

According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, Steve Kerr acknowledged that Durant suiting up for Team USA for the first time this summer played a significant role in Tatum sitting due to a coach's decision.

"It's really hard in a 40-minute game to play more than 10 guys," Kerr said, per Himmelsbach. "With Kevin coming back, I just went to the combinations that I felt made the most sense. It seems crazy. I thought I was crazy when I looked at everything and determined these are the lineups I wanted to get to.

"Jayson is first-team All-NBA three years in a row. He's one of the best players in the world. I went with the combinations I felt would make sense, and I talked to him, and he was incredibly professional," adding, "That was for tonight. He handled it well. He'll make his mark."

Team USA's next tilt and Tatum's first opportunity to leave an imprint on this summer's Olympics is against South Sudan, who nearly pulled off a monumental upset against the United States before pool play began, on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum Gets Candid about Relationship with Jaylen Brown

Summer League Struggles Offer Valuable Lessons to Jordan Walsh

D.J. MacLeay Shares How Baylor Scheierman Impressed Him in Celtics Win vs. Lakers

Jaylen Brown 'Wasn't Surprised' by Olympic Snub: 'All the Motivation in the World'

Celtics Rookie Anton Watson Shares Brad Stevens' Message to Him

Celtics' Coaching Staff Changes Match Theme of Boston's Offseason

Celtics Roster, Salary Cap Breakdown After Whirlwind Start to Free Agency

New Details about Plan to Sell Majority Stake in Celtics Revealed

Brad Stevens Shares His Outlook on Celtics' Draft Picks

Al Horford, Raising Cane's, and a Region that Loves Him

On Derrick White and the Fuel for Unprecedented Journey to NBA's Best Role Player

Jayson Tatum, an NBA Champion Entering Peak of His Powers

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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