ISTANBUL (AP) — The United States has won its first world championship since 1994, beating Turkey 81-64 behind another sensational performance from Kevin Durant.
Durant scored 28 points Sunday, setting a record along the way for most in the tournament by a U.S. player. He left the court with 42 seconds left and shared a long hug with coach Mike Krzyzewski, who finally won the world title after his previous two attempts ended with bronze medals.
Lamar Odom added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Americans, who won gold in the worlds for only the fourth time, doing so with a team that was no lock after coming to Turkey without the superstars from its Olympic gold medal team.
But Durant was good enough to win without them, qualifying the U.S. for the 2012 Olympics.
