With a special Sept. 11 anniversary message on his sneakers, Durant soared over defenders or stepped away from them for 3-pointers, scoring 17 in the first quarter to stake the Americans to an early lead that was never seriously challenged.

He went on to surpass Carmelo Anthony's single-game record of 35 points and raise his average in the tournament to 22.1, which would be the best ever by a US player.

More importantly, he guaranteed the Americans a chance at their first world title since 1994. They will play Turkey or Serbia on Sunday.