Tatum Scores 14 as USA Beats Iran, 120-66

TOKYO (from USA Basketball) — Sure, iron sharpens iron. But sometimes, a runaway win is just what a team needs.

After falling in its Olympic Games opener Sunday, and in the process snapping a 25-game Olympic winning streak, the U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team (1-1) came out strong to beat Iran (0-2) 120-66 Wednesday at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Damian Lillard led six U.S. players scoring in double digits with 21 points, all of them coming on 3-pointers (7-13 3pt FGs).

Devin Booker added 16 points, Jayson Tatum 14, Zach LaVine 13 and Khris Middleton 10 for the U.S. LaVine also had a team-high eight assists.

Kevin Durant added 10 points to move within striking distance of the U.S. Olympic career scoring record, while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing out five assists. He now has 331 points and needs five to tie Carmelo Anthony's 336 points scored in Olympic games.

Hamed Haddadi and Mohammad Jamshidijafarabadi led Iran with 14 points apiece.

"I think we came out with a lot more urgency," Lillard said. "Our energy was higher, we played at a faster pace. We were more aggressive, and we played like ourselves. We didn't come out here and think that it was just gonna happen, we made it happen, and that's the way that we got to play if we want to be successful in these Olympics."

The U.S. wraps up play in Group A against the Czech Republic on Saturday at 8 a.m. ET. The 12th-ranked Czechs (1-0), who edged Iran 84-78 in the country's first Olympic appearance, play France (1-0) in their second game Wednesday. A win over the Czechs would send the U.S. to the quarterfinals in pursuit of a fourth straight gold medal.

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Tatum Scores 14 as USA Beats Iran, 120-66

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