Kevin Durant makes history as Team USA men’s basketball cruises; more unfortunate 49ers news

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🏀🏃 Good morning to everyone, but especially to …

TEAM USA MEN’S BASKETBALL AND TEAM USA TRACK & FIELD

Bring on the MVP. Team USA men’s basketball smashed Brazil, 122-87, in the Olympic quarterfinals to set up a meeting with Nikola Jokic and Serbia in tomorrow’s semifinal action.

• The United States was locked in from tipoff and led by double digits almost the entire game. Along the way, Kevin Durant (11 points) passed Lisa Leslie as the all-time leading scorer in Team USA basketball Olympic history.
• Devin Booker led the team with 18 points, and Anthony Edwards had 17 off the bench. Overall, six players reached double digits, and all 12 players on the roster scored.
• Team USA shot 15 of 31 (48%) on 3-pointers.
• Perhaps the only downside was LeBron James needing four stitches after taking an elbow to the face. He’s expected to be available against Serbia.

The Americans beat Serbia by 26 both in pool play and in a pre-Olympic showcase game. But with a chance to score a massive upset (and secure a medal), Serbia will certainly be more locked in and is coming in with plenty of momentum. Serbia overcame a 24-point deficit to beat Australia, 95-90, in overtime, with Jokic (24 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, four steals) absolutely taking over in overtime and once again arguing his “world’s best player” case, Brad Botkin writes.

On the other side of the bracket, France upset Canada, which will go home medal-less despite having the competition’s second-best collection of NBA talent, and Germany defeated Greece.

Elsewhere at the Paris Games, three Americans won gold Tuesday: Amit Elor (women’s wrestling), Gabby Thomas (women’s 200m) and Cole Hocker (men’s 1500m). In Thomas, Hocker and Noah Lyles, the U.S. is off to a rip-roaring start on the track, Matt Norlander writes. Team USA already has five track golds; no other nation has more than two.

Here’s more from the Olympics:

• Live blog
• Medal tracker
• How to watch
• The USWNT beat Germany, 1-0, in extra time thanks to Sophia Smith‘s goal and a miraculous last-second foot save from Alyssa Naeher. Here are Sandra Herrera’s player ratings. The USWNT will face Brazil on Saturday for the gold medal. It will be Brazilian legend Marta‘s final national-team game.
• Imane Khelif advanced to the women’s welterweight gold medal fight.
• Several athletes have fallen ill after swimming in the Seine.

👍 Honorable mentions

• The White Sox have won a game, ending a 21-game losing streak. 
• It’s unofficial depth chart season in the NFL. Russell Wilson is the Steelers‘ starter, Jayden Daniels is the Commanders‘ QB1 and Jarrett Stidham is atop the Broncos‘ pecking order.
• These are the most unstoppable players in training camp.
• The Knicks named Jalen Brunson team captain.
• Aaron Judge may be getting the biggest headlines, but Juan Soto is having a career year himself.
• Is Zabien Brown going to be Alabama‘s next star freshman defender?
• As for a former Crimson Tide star freshman defender, Dennis Dodd has a great look at Caleb Downs, who transferred to Ohio State.
• These five teams can create CFP chaos.
• The Astros called up Zach Dezenzo.
• The Braves and Reds will play at Bristol Motor Speedway next year.
• Here’s how MLB teams can add players post-trade deadline.
• The Seahawks signed Connor Williams.
• “Punt God” Matt Araiza is back to crushing footballs.
• FIU‘s football stadium is now Pitbull Stadium after the university and recording artist agreed to a deal.
• The SEC is moving toward adopting mandatory injury reports.

🤕 And not such a good morning for …

CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY AND THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

The hits just keep on coming for the 49ers. With the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes ongoing (the Steelers are reportedly back in and the Patriots are reportedly out), Kyle Shanahan revealed Christian McCaffrey has a calf strain and won’t play in the preseason.

One one hand, there’s a good chance McCaffrey wouldn’t have played anyway — he hasn’t played in a preseason game since 2019 — and Shanahan believes it will only cost his star running back “a couple of weeks.”

On the other hand, McCaffrey is coming off an NFL-high 339 touches, he’s 28 years old, and calf injuries aren’t always the most straightforward. Just ask Joe Burrow and the Bengals about last year.

Adding insult to injury, McCaffrey’s backup, Elijah Mitchell, is dealing with a hamstring injury, and McCaffrey (perhaps inadvertently) referred to Aiyuk as a “former teammate” during an interview.

So, to review, San Francisco’s best offensive playmaker is hurt and its second-best offensive playmaker seems to be on the precipice of being traded. All of this comes weeks before a huge season for the franchise as a whole.

Here’s what some notable 49ers, including Shanahan, said about the Aiyuk saga, with Nick Bosa calling it “brutal.”

It’s safe to say it wasn’t the best day for the reigning NFC champs.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

• Framber Valdez came up one out short of a no-hitter. Still, what an amazing outing from the Astros lefty.
• There was another Giants-Lions brawl, this one instigated by Malik Nabers.
• Marlon Humphrey‘s criticism of Simone Biles is not going over well.
• Emmanuel Moseley (torn pec) is out indefinitely.
• Grayson Rodriguez (lat/teres discomfort) was scratched. 

🏀 Lauri Markkanen expected to reach extension with Jazz, taking him off trade market

Arguably the largest remaining domino in the NBA offseason has fallen. Lauri Markkanen agreed to an extension with the Jazz, putting to bed several months’ worth of trade rumors. The deal is expected to be for five years and more than $200 million, per reports.

Timing was key here:

• Markkanen, 27, became extension-eligible Tuesday, and once he signs his new deal, he cannot be traded for the following six months.
• The 2024-25 NBA trade deadline was exactly six months after Tuesday — Feb. 6, 2025 — so Markkanen is off the market for at least this upcoming season.
• Sam Quinn has a full explainer on it all.

After starting his career with the Bulls and spending a year with the Cavaliers, Markkanen has blossomed in Utah. He won Most Improved Player and made his first All-Star Game in 2022-23, when he averaged 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting over 39% from 3. His 200 3-pointers that season were most ever by a player 7 feet tall or taller.

Give his modern offensive game and age, Markannen was the hottest name on the rumor mill for a while, with the Warriors seen as a major contender for his services. Now, Utah can continue to build around him, Walker Kessler, a plethora of young guards and wings and a ton of draft capital for the foreseeable future thanks to the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert deals.

Former MLB outfielder, LGBTQ advocate Billy Bean dies at 60

Billy Bean, special adviser to commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB’s senior vice president for diversity, equality, and inclusion, has died after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, the league announced Tuesday. He was 60 years old.

• Bean played in six MLB seasons from 1987-95, spending time with the Tigers, Dodgers and Padres.
• In an interview with the Miami Herald in 1999, Bean became the second MLB player ever to come out as gay. In 2014, MLB appointed him as its first Ambassador for Inclusion. In that role, he worked with teams to “advance equality for all players, coaches, managers, umpires, employees, and stakeholders throughout baseball.”
• In a statement, Manfred called Bean “one of the kindest and most respected individuals I have ever known,” who “made baseball a better institution, both on and off the field.”

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

🥇 We’re watching the Olympics. Here’s how.
⚾ Twins at Cubs or Astros at Rangers, 2:20 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Women’s Basketball — Quarterfinal: USA vs. Nigeria, 3:30 p.m. on USA
⚾ Padres at Pirates, 6:40 p.m. on FS1
⚾ Phillies at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. on MLB Network