Durant leads USA to 57-point win over China

Kevin Durant was certainly in a rhythm as the four-time NBA scoring champion hit 10 of 14 field-goal attempts.

Kevin Durant in action for the USA.

The United States was as good as advertised as it opened up its run for a potential third-straight gold medal with a thrashing of China at the Olympics.

Team USA beat China 119-62 in its Group A opener, led by 25 points from Kevin Durant. Durant was certainly in a rhythm as the four-time NBA scoring champion hit 10 of 14 field-goal attempts. 

"I just wanted to set the tone for my team-mates, being a leader on this team," Durant told NBC Sports. "We started off slow, but as the game went on we got stops, we made shots and we got in a rhythm."

DeMarcus Cousins was a force inside, scoring 17 points on six-for-eight shooting, while Paul George chipped in 15 points off the bench. Team USA had a dominant defensive effort, holding China to just 35.7 percent shooting and forcing 24 turnovers.

Former NBA player Yi Jianlian finished with a team-high 25 points for China.

"We know how hard it is to win," Durant said. "We appreciate the journey, the process." 

Team USA will play Venezuela on Monday.