The LeBron James-captained USA basketball team is going for their fifth consecutive gold medal when they play host-country France on Saturday.
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Thrilling Semi-Final vs Serbia
The American’s semifinal on Thursday with Serbia was an absolute thriller and the biggest test of these Olympic games to this point. Team USA trailed by as many as 17 points; and was down double-digits going into the final quarter. In USA fashion they turned on the jets and relied on their decorated vets, outscoring Serbia 32-15 in the final frame. Four former NBA MVP’s were on the floor for the U.S. in their closing lineup: Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James. A Curry-flurry of a 3-pointer, fast-break layup, and two free throws in the final minutes gave the U.S. the lead for good as they narrowly survived, 95-91. Head Coach Steve Kerr said it was one of the greatest basketball games he’s ever been a part of.
Curry On Fire
Curry played his best game in Olympic competition, finishing with 36 points, the most scored by an American in a win-or-go-home game. One more point would have tied Carmelo Anthony’s American Olympic scoring record. Curry made nine three pointers, also just one shy of another Anthony record. This performance was overdue as Curry started slow (by his standards) in the first four games of his Olympic debut; just 29 points total on 10-for-28 shooting. He came out unconscious in this knockout game, scoring 14 of his team’s first 15 points.
LeBron Makes History
LeBron James put together a sensational game as he finished with a triple-double for the second time in his Olympic career. King James poured in 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. The last time he notched those numbers was over a decade ago in 2012. Making history, he is now the only men’s basketball player to have multiple triple-doubles in Olympic games. The 39-year-old was unbelievable down the stretch, playing every minute of the 4th quarter with desperation to advance his team to the gold medal game yet again.
A Common Opponent
This was the 3rd meeting between these teams in a month. The first meeting was an exhibition game in Abu Dhabi that the US rolled, 105-79. The two met again in the group stage opener of Olympic competition, where the US recorded another lopsided victory, 110-84. Curry mentioned how difficult of a task it is to defeat a team three consecutive times. Serbia proved a much harder “out” than expected as they were determined to end the USA’s dominating gold medal streak.
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Jokic Stepped Up
Serbia struggled with consistent outside shooting during previous Olympic matches and it was a point of emphasis for them to get good looks early. They were able to find those looks and were red hot from beyond the arc in the first three periods to get out to a significant lead in the semifinal. Another key to the game for Serbia was their use of three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Basketball fans had been clamoring for more consistent offensive opportunities for Jokic in the quarterfinal matchup with Australia. He logged 38 minutes and made the most of every one of them. The Denver Nuggets star finished with a game-high 11 assists and 17 points. Serbia led this game for 35 of the 40 total minutes. When it mattered most, they went cold. Finishing 0-for-9 from three point range in the fourth quarter as the U.S. stepped up defensively.
Team USA (-1800) vs Team France (+900)
The Americans will have to contend with an electric opposing crowd when they face France in the gold medal game. The Frenchmen won their semifinal game by four points in thrilling fashion as they defeated defending World Cup champions Germany, 73-69. Maybe the most memorable image from the match was Victor Wembanyama’s bloodied jersey, dripping sweat, and victorious tears. The NBA Rookie of the Year says he’s willing to do anything to win gold for France, in France. They are just the third men’s basketball team to play for gold as the host country. The U.S. did so in the 1984 games in Los Angeles, and 1996 in Atlanta. This Olympic final rematch from the 2021 Tokyo games will be one for the ages.
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