LeBron James, Kevin Durant impress for Team USA; USWNT advances; MLB trade deadline heats up

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🏀 Good morning to everyone, but especially to …

LEBRON JAMES, KEVIN DURANT AND TEAM USA MEN’S BASKETBALL

They don’t just hand out nicknames like “Easy Money Sniper,” and Kevin Durant just showed why.

After missing all of Team USA‘s showcase games due to a calf injury, Durant poured in 21 points in a jaw-dropping first half as the Americans blew out Serbia,110-84, in its Olympic opener.

This was the basketball equivalent of a religious experience. Durant entered late in the first quarter and in the blink of an eye knocked down two 3-pointers. He hit all eight of his first-half shots, a stunning display of 3-pointers and tough midrange jumpers he made look effortless. Normally stone-faced, Durant flashed the broad smile of a player who has it all going and knows his opponent can’t stop it. He finished with a team-high 23 points. 

LeBron James wasn’t far behind with 21 points as well as nine assists and eight rebounds. He and Durant shot over 77% from the floor combined, and the team as a whole shot a scintillating 62% from the floor and 56% from 3.

Simply put, two of the game’s iconic all-time players took charge, Brad Botkin writes.

• Botkin: “On this American team, where the collective talent diminishes, in some cases significantly, the importance of any single player, James and Durant remain the two most indispensable components. … Even on a roster with so much scoring talent, Durant’s ability to make any shot at any time against any matchup is the Americans’ most reliable source of offense.”

Jrue Holiday (15 points), Devin Booker (12), Stephen Curry (11) and Anthony Edwards (11) also reached double figures. NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 20 points for Serbia, which played Team USA even when he was on the floor and was outscored by 26 in the nine-ish minutes he was on the bench.

Here’s more from the Men’s Basketball event:

• While Holiday and Derrick White contributed, the Celtics‘ two biggest stars made the wrong headlines: Jayson Tatum didn’t see the court, and Jaylen Brown (who isn’t on the team) is in a war of words with Team USA managing director Grant Hill. 
• Victor Wembanyama starred in his Olympic debut. He wasn’t alone.

😊 Honorable mentions

• Pete Prisco says Will Levis is a star in the making.
• Xavier Edwards hit for the second cycle in Marlins history. The Brewers, however, got the win in Devin Williams‘ return.
• At UFC 304, Belal Muhammad upset Leon Edwards to take the welterweight title, and Tom Aspinall finished Curtis Blaydes in mere seconds to retain his interim heavyweight title.
• Jhonattan Vegas won the 3M Open, his first PGA Tour title in seven years.

😖 Not so honorable mentions

⚽ USWNT surges past Germany; USMNT U23s rebound with win

The United States Women’s National Team is finding its footing under Emma Hayes, and Sunday was a resounding success. The Americans roared past Germany, 4-1, behind an attack that has found life in Paris, qualifying for the quarterfinals in the process.

• Sophia Smith opened the scoring in the 11th minute off a great cross from Trinity Rodman.
• Shortly after Giulia Gwinn‘s game-tying goal in the 22nd minute, Mallory Swanson knocked home a rebound from Smith’s shot to give the USWNT the lead for good. Swanson joined Abby Wambach (2012) as the only USWNT players to score three goals in an Olympic group stage.
• Late in the first half, Smith tallied her second off a deflected long-range effort that bounced off the far post and somehow found the net. Lynn Williams capped the scoring in the 89th minute.
• Despite the offensive fireworks, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher deserves credit for several big saves, including an early one from point-blank range. If that goes in, we’re talking about a very different game.

All three of the USWNT’s starting attackers earned at least an 8.5 in Sandra Herrera’s player ratings, and I was especially impressed with Rodman.

• Herrera: “The Germans have few solutions to contain Rodman. She was nearly everywhere on the pitch and earned multiple fouls. Facilitated play constantly, on the opening goal and delivered the assist, and she was involved in creating the fourth goal. Rating: 8.5”

The win came a day after the USMNT U-23s recorded a 4-1 victory of its own against New Zealand. After a 3-0 loss to France to open their Summer Games, the Americans had their backs against the wall and came out absolutely flying, with Djordje Mihailovic and Walker Zimmerman (two of the team’s three exceptions to the age limit rules) scoring inside the first dozen minutes. Gianluca Busio (30th minute) and Paxten Aaronson (58th) also found the back of the net.

The U.S. is in great position to advance to the quarterfinals, and Mihailovic is a big reason why, Chuck Booth writes.

🏅 2024 Paris Olympics updates, medal count: Simone Biles, Suni Lee into finals

Here are more updates from the Olympics:

⚾ MLB trade deadline: Yankees add Jazz Chisholm, other contenders load up

Ya like Jazz? Hope you do, Yankees fans. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is now with the Bronx Bombers, with the Yankees sending three prospects back to the Marlins. Chisholm is fun, talented and versatile, and that helped the Yankees earn an “A” in R.J. Anderson’s trade grades.

• Anderson: “His biggest crimes appear to be that he’s excitable, stylish, and true to himself. … He’s a 26-year-old capable of playing multiple up-the-middle positions while hitting at a league-average clip. That is, has, and will always be an attractive profile. Chisholm has twice before come close to posting a 20-20 season.”

The Yankees weren’t the only team making significant moves. Since Friday morning’s newsletter …

With tomorrow night’s MLB trade deadline fast approaching, make sure to keep our trade deadline tracker handy.

🏈 Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa ink huge extensions

Five quarterbacks went in the first two rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. Now, all five have gotten paid, big time. Jordan Love (four years, $220 million) and Tua Tagovailoa (four years, $212.4 million) signed their deals Friday, ending any and all training camp uncertainty.

Love received an NFL-record $75 million signing bonus, while Tagovailoa’s $167 million guaranteed is fifth-highest in league history. Here’s a look at the NFL’s largest contracts, and here’s how those quarterbacks’ stats stack up.

Let’s start with Love, 25, who was not practicing (but was present) at training camp before the deal. After sitting for three years behind Aaron Rodgers, Love finished 2023 on an absolute heater, throwing 18 touchdowns and just one interception over the Packers‘ final eight regular-season games. The Packers then shredded the Cowboys in the wild card round (Love threw three touchdowns) before narrowly losing to the 49ers.

The Packers’ unprecedented run on quarterbacks is here to stay, Will Brinson writes.

Tagovailoa, 26, broke out statistically in 2022, but his injury issues persisted. He missed the end of the season due to yet another concussion, and at that point he had missed 15 games through three seasons. Last year, though, Tagovailoa played in all 17 games, led the league with 4,624 yards passing and helped the Dolphins make the playoffs for a second straight season, something they hadn’t done since 2000-01.

Tagovailoa has the advantage of a great scheme from Mike McDaniel (who is happy to have his quarterback locked in) and two star receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. And the injury worries are legit. Still, Will says this one was a no-brainer.

📺 What we’re watching Monday

🏅 We’re watching the Olympics. Here’s how.
🏀 Women’s Basketball: USA vs. Japan, 2:45 p.m. on USA
⚾ Yankees at Phillies, 6:45 p.m. on MLB Network