Team USA pulled off an incredible comeback in the fourth quarter of their semi-final game against Serbia. They finished the game 95-91 and booked their spot in the gold medal game against France. But a quick look at the play-by-play sheet will show that Team USA was actually trailing behind Serbia for almost the entire game.
Serbia actually had the lead for 35:12 of the entire 40-minute game. In fact, they were in the lead of the game until the final three minutes of the game, as Stephen Curry stole the lead for Team USA with a dagger three with 2:24 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Team USA, on the other hand, only led for a cumulative time of 3:25, and most of that came in the final moments of the fourth quarter. The only sustained periods of a lead for Team USA aside from that came within the first five minutes of the first quarter. It really was a game of fine margins for Team USA.
This performance, as legendary as it was from Stephen Curry and LeBron James, should be a reminder to Team USA that they cannot afford to get complacent. Coming into this semi-final against Serbia, Team USA was 2-0 in their previous two games, including their Olympic opener as well.
Serbia posed them a massive challenge, and it took an incredible showcase from two of the all-time greats to eke out a win and advance to the final. This kind of lax performance from Team USA will not work against France, who have a lot of momentum and have the home support from the fans in attendance.
Stephen Curry was absolutely phenomenal, putting up 36 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, and made 9/14 three-pointers in the game. As for LeBron James, he registered a triple-double, scoring 16 points, with 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in the incredible win.
Can France Upset Team USA In The Final?
Team USA will now turn their focus to Saturday, where they will play France in the gold medal game. This will be a true test for Team USA, as France has been playing very well, led by Victor Wembanyama. On top of that, France will have the support of the crowd, as they will be playing at home.
Steve Kerr will have to make some tough decisions to make sure that the impact and dominance of Victor Wembanyama can be mitigated as much as possible. Players on Team USA will have to show a degree of defensive commitment they haven’t had this entire tournament.
With Team USA already dispatching of another dominant center in Nikola Jokic, they will be confident about their ability to handle Wemby and secure the gold medal for a fifth consecutive time.
LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant are having their last hurrah with Team USA and will want to close it out with a gold medal win. But they might have to stop the rising young superstar in Wembanyama to get the end to their international careers they want.
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