September 12th, 2010
05:07 PM ET

Team USA beats Turkey for FIBA hoops gold

A young Team USA has won the country’s first FIBA world basketball championship in 16 years.

Kevin Durant scored 28 points – including seven 3-pointers – as the United States beat the tournament’s host, Turkey, 81-64 in the gold medal game in Istanbul on Sunday.

The game capped off a perfect tournament for Team USA, which won all five of its group games before going 4-0 in the knockout stage.

Durant, 21, was named the tournament’s MVP. The team featured no players from the United States’ 2008 gold-medal-winning Olympic squad, and half of its 12 members are younger than 23.

Sunday’s victory makes the United States an automatic qualifier for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. It also wraps up a remarkable 25 months for Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, whose Duke Blue Devils won an NCAA title last spring between the United States’ victories in Beijing and Istanbul.

Team USA last won the FIBA World Championship in 1994, when it beat Russia in the final.

Check out SI.com for more on today's game.

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Filed under: Sports • Turkey • U.S.
soundoff (11 Responses)
  1. Peter Robert Casey

    We went 4-0 in the knockout stage.

    September 12, 2010 at 5:16 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Brian

    no i think 3-0

    September 12, 2010 at 5:19 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Codablack

    Congratulations!.. Kevin Durant is can't be stopped!

    September 12, 2010 at 5:28 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Keith

    The scare from Brazil in the preliminary round seemed to wake up the US team for the knockout games.

    September 12, 2010 at 5:35 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Rastafareye

    Congratulations! We will work hard to compete as well as succeed!

    September 12, 2010 at 5:57 pm | Report abuse |
  6. jesse

    there's a surprise

    September 12, 2010 at 6:54 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Andy

    Shocker. yawn. moving on.

    September 12, 2010 at 7:12 pm | Report abuse |
  8. World of Basketball

    Congratulations to team USA for gold medal. They played excellent whole tournament and deserves this gold. Durant MVP, fantastic performance during whole tournament.

    http://www.worldofbasketball.org

    September 13, 2010 at 10:44 am | Report abuse |
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