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Rio de Janeiro • After a slow start, the USA recovered with a 20-0 run and ran away to a 105-78 win over Argentina in the Olympic men's basketball quarterfinals Wednesday night.
In Friday's semifinals, the Americans will meet Spain, a 92-67 winner over France.
Kevin Durant stabilized the USA offense during its initial struggles and finished with 27 points. The team's 20-0 surge came in the middle of a 27-2 run, after Argentina had taken a 19-9 lead. Argentina had strong, vocal support at Carioca Arena, and fans from the neighboring South American country enjoyed their team's good start.
But the Americans managed to subdue the crowd by playing nearly perfect basketball over a five-minute period spanning the end of the first quarter and the start of the second quarter. Argentina missed six shots and committed three turnovers during the USA's 20-0 blitz.
This story will be updated.