Basketball
Klay, Kyrie turn up as USA beat Venezuela in Rio warm up
Klay Thompson and Kylie Irving dropped 13 points each as tUSA beat Venuzela on Friday night at the United Center in front of a sold-out crowd numbering 20,578.
The US who stated the game,e with Carmelo Anthony, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson struggled to make their shots count.
Melo made just 2-of-10 shots from the floor and missed all four of his shots from beyond the arc. Anthony finished with seven points, and added nine rebounds, one assist, one blocked shots and one steal.
Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler, also had a rough finished with four points, while securing eight rebounds.
While the USA struggled from the field as it connected on just 28 of 66 shots from the field and finished a forgettable 4-of-25 from beyond the arc, they hustle, hard work and defensive presence was in evidence throughout the 40-minute game.
Team US clearly have a lot of work to do to find a more consistent attack, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson provided the most consistent offensive performances. Both players scored 13 points, as Irving made 4-of-7 shots from the field, 1-of-2 from beyond the arc and all four of his free throws. Unlike most of his teammates, Irving looked comfortable on the floor throughout the night.
Thompson made 5-of-10 shots from the field and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. He also made a strong showing with his defensive performance as he locked up on Venezuela’s leading scorer John Cox, who was the only member of his team to reach double figures with 14 points.
