The U.S. men's basketball team will have its first Paris Olympics tune-up Wednesday night, but it will take the court without the country's all-time leading Olympic scorer.
Kevin Durant will miss Team USA's opening exhibition against Canada in Las Vegas due to a calf injury, which has also kept him out of the team's training camp.
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The 35-year-old said the injury came up about 10 days before the training camp began but that he's "feeling better."
"Just working through it and taking it day by day," he said Tuesday.
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Team USA head coach Steve Kerr said he expects Durant, whom he coached for three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, will suit up in short order.
"He's already doing on the side, so not with the team, but strengthening, treatment," Kerr said. "So he said he's feeling pretty good. We'll just keep taking it day by day. It won't be long before he's out on the court with us."
Team USA will face Canada in a pre-Olympic scrimmage for the first time since 2008, when it crushed its rivals to the north by a score of 120-65. Wednesday night's contest will tip-off at 10:30 p.m. ET.
From there, Team USA will have four more pre-Olympic exhibitions with two in Abu Dhabi and two in London. After playing Canada, the Americans' next matchup will be against Australia on Monday, July 15.
Date | Matchup | Competition | Time | TV network |
July 10 | Team USA vs. Canada | USA Basketball Showcase (Las Vegas) | 10:30 p.m. ET | FS1 |
July 15 | Team USA vs. Australia | USA Basketball Showcase (Abu Dhabi) | 12 p.m. ET | FS1 |
July 17 | Team USA vs. Serbia | USA Basketball Showcase (Abu Dhabi) | 12 p.m. ET | FS1 |
July 20 | Team USA vs. South Sudan | USA Basketball Showcase (London) | 3 p.m. ET | FOX |
July 22 | Team USA vs. Germany | USA Basketball Showcase (London) | 3 p.m. ET | FOX |
July 28 | Team USA vs. Serbia | 2024 Paris Olympics - Group stage | 11:15 a.m. ET | NBC |
July 31 | Team USA vs. South Sudan | 2024 Paris Olympics - Group stage | 3 p.m. ET | NBC |
Aug. 3 | Team USA vs. Puerto Rico | 2024 Paris Olympics - Group stage | 11:15 a.m. ET | NBC |