TEAM AMERICA: USA's Comeback Win Over Serbia Pumps Up Nation Hungry For Gold
Team USA Basketball emerged again victorious, despite coming dangerously close to losing against Serbia!
LeBron James and the Americans survived a 95-91 thriller at the Paris Summer Olympics. With 7:19 left, the Serbs were ahead by 11 points.
The Americans quickly got anxious. Messy defense and questionable rotations by coach Steve Kerr headlined the bad performance, which set up a tremendous USA-signature comeback.
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 8: Lebron James of United States and Stephen Curry of the United States celebrate their victory and entry into the Final at the final whistle during the Men's Semifinal Game between United States and Serbia on day thirteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Arena Bercy on August 8, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
(From L) Serbia's #23 Marko Guduric, Serbia's #0 Uros Plavsic and Serbia's #07 Bogdan Bogdanovic react in the men's semifinal basketball match between USA and Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 8, 2024. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
USA Beats Serbia After Sloppy Start To Olympic Basketball Semi-Final
As 16-point favorites, James and the All-Stars played the matchup against the Serbs too close for comfort, relying on fourth-quarter heroics to avoid a potentially humiliating exit. Team USA trailed by as many as 17 in the game, prompting NBA fans to pounce on coach Steve Kerr for putting the Yanks in such a precarious situation.
In the face of pressure from the Euros, the Spirit of the USA possessed this group of NBA stars in order to win and live to fight another day.
LeBron James and Team AMERICA Cap Solid Comeback
Spirits were low as Americans sat around, with minutes left in the fourth and their team unable to overcome the single-point deficit, wondering if Team USA was on the brink of losing, making those three hours of listening to Dwyane Wade on the broadcast — nails to chalkboard — go to complete waste.
James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant put the Stars and Stripes on their backs and muscled the USA into finally crossing the deficit with two minutes left.
James finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Curry led USA with 36 points and Celtics star Jayson Tatum did not see action all second half. James chipped in with 16 points. Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, playing with Serbia, scored 17 points.
Embiid's mid-range action, LeBron's fastbreak points and Curry's clutch threes in the final two minutes put away the Serbs.
Like a great American, Steph Curry thanked God for the mighty win in his postgame interview.
Team USA prepares to take on Victor Wembanyama and Team France for gold on Saturday night.
(Still no Jayson Tatum.)
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