ISTANBUL—Kevin Durant came up big today, helping lead Team USA to a 99-77 victory over Slovenia. Durant, who was the NBA league-leading scorer, is leading the FIBA World Championships in points and is really rocking. He is on fire and is just simply unstoppable. Like his NBA team’s name, he is bringing thunder and havoc to other opponents.

Many believe that the Durantula will have the highest-total scoring-average in Team USA FIBA World Championships’ history. There is no doubt in my mind that it can happen as the small forward went along for 22 points in just 23 minutes, raising USA’s record to 2-0.

However, Slovenia was able to catch up, being trailed 28-23 in the second quarter, and then 42-30 at the end of the half. However, USA then cruised towards a 19-5 run to raise the deficit up towards 61-35. The best Slovenia could do after that was to trail 63-46, then running out. From there, it was all over.

Durant had 14 points in the last game, in just 18 minutes. With today’s points-total, he is now averaging 18 points per game currently. Rudy Gay added 16 points, while Andre Iguodala and Russell Westbrook each added eleven. Eric Gordon, who had a tremendous shooting game last night against Croatia, had a horrendous shooting night today as he only had six points while going two-of-nine overall with and starting out with zero-of-seven. Kevin Love would finish with ten points and eleven rebounds. Lamar Odom would tally up five points with nine rebounds. Derrick Rose would have seven points and five assists.

Slovenia falls to 1-1. Bostjan Nachbar added 13 points for them. Goran Dragic would have seven points with five assists while Gasper Vidmar would have ten points. Samo Udrih would have nine points.

With a hopeful win against Brazil next Monday, USA can wrap-up Group B. With that, they will also face Iran and and Tunisia.

ISTANBUL—It’s times like these where you just love watching basketball. Today was that day when Team USA rolled to beat Croatia in the first game of FIBA World Championships set in Turkey. The final score count of the victory was 106-78. It’s been weeks since USA has been criticized for being said of what they can’t do as well as being called “The B-Team.”

Call it as you wish, but Team USA looks hot. And today, they did, especially off of Eric Gordon. The Los Angeles Clippers’ shooting guard was a long-shot for making the FIBA team but made it, and coach Mike Krzyzweski should be happy and relieved that he did. The long-shot player but up some big shots to help blowout Croatia.

There is a lot of confidence building and many are optimistic that this team can win the whole FIBA World Championships since 1994 despite not having a single player from the 2008 Olympics squad and not having top-caliber center. But they can win it, and it will be led by Kevin Durant. Speaking of the Durantula, he scored 14 points in the victory.

“People aren’t expecting us to come out here and win, so we just wanted to make a statement and I think tonight we did,” Durant said.

Gordon led the United States with 16 points along with four three-pointers. With the help of the guard out of Indiana University, he turned a close game that could either way to a large-margin victory that Croatia can’t defeat. Chauncey Billups scored twelve points in the making.

Today’s game was impressive, and if USA can win the whole thing despite being undersized, boy what a feat this would be. Along with that, some of folks who were on the 2008 Olympics squad may need to watch out for what is coming towards them in the 2012 Olympic team tryouts.

Durant was another key feature, bursting for five points in the second quarter along with eight rebounds, all in a span of just 21 minutes. There was no sight for Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, but this time it was a show of Durant and Gordon. From the way they are playing right now, they have an excellent shot at 2012, but we’ll wait for that. Let’s worry about now. If USA can play like they did in the second quarter, many other teams are in for some trouble.

“We like that type of adversity,” Gordon said. “People think we’re too young or too small, but I think we’re playing well as a team and we play much faster when we’re smaller, and we’re just an overall good team.”

Bojan Bogdanovic added 17 points while Marko Popovic had 16 points to help out Croatia in their 28-point loss. Croatia used to be on top, but haven’t done anything that is astounding since winning the bronze medal back in 1994, the same year where USA won it all. Croatia would end up having a bad shooting night, going three-of-17 from the field, and going one-of-13 from three-point range.

“We were good in the first period but then we didn’t fight,” Croatia coach Josip Vrankovic said. “We had some problems about free throws and 3-point field goals. We will be more careful the next day.”

Team USA needs to play strong for the next four games to be in pool play.

“I think that’s what we’re learning to do,” Rudy Gay said. “Every day is a process and we’re getting better at it. We’ve only been playing together for what, five games? So we’re still learning to play with each other.”

Gay and Russell Westbrook had ten points. USA all-together shot 55-percent and were only outrebounded 41-39. That is something to be proud of, despite having a 6’10″ starting center in Lamar Odom, who usually plays in the small forward/power forward range. Kevin Love played well, too, adding ten rebounds in just 13 minutes.

USA will face Slovenia next, looking to bring more of the same energy and intensity they had in the second quarter. Really proud of this team right now and there is a lot of hope for them this year. Let’s go USA!