Group USA overcame a 17-point deficit towards three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Serbia in Thursday’s semifinal Olympic matchup to win 95-91 and advance to the gold medal recreation versus France. The People trailed by 13 heading into the ultimate quarter.
Stephen Curry scored 36 factors, one shy of the American Olympic document for males’s basketball held by Carmelo Anthony
After beating Serbia twice up to now three weeks – as soon as in a pleasant and as soon as in group play on the Summer time Video games – Group USA wanted an inconceivable fourth-quarter comeback to drag out a victory.
Serbia led for greater than 35 minutes of the 40-minute recreation. Nonetheless, Group USA dominated the ultimate quarter, outscoring the Serbians 32-15 to come back again and take the lead for good on a Stephen Curry 3-pointer with 2:24 remaining.
Curry orchestrated his finest efficiency with Group USA, scoring a game-high 36 factors — one shy of the American Olympic document for males’s basketball held by Carmelo Anthony and essentially the most ever for a U.S. participant in a knockout recreation, per ESPN Stats & Info.
CLUTCH DOWN THE STRETCH.
Relive Group USA’s INCREDIBLE comeback towards Serbia to advance to the gold medal recreation! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/tBDMxWWOXZ
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
“That is essentially the most enjoyable I’ve had in a really very long time.”
Stephen Curry displays on Group USA’s comeback win after his phenomenal efficiency. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/T0E6GL6LL9
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
“I’m actually humbled to have been part of this recreation,” Group USA coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “It’s one of many best basketball video games I’ve ever been part of. They had been excellent.
“They performed the right recreation, and so they compelled us to achieve the best degree of competitors that we might discover. Our guys had been unimaginable in that fourth quarter, and so they acquired it achieved. I’m so happy with the group.”
LeBron James notched his second Olympic triple-double
Curry scored extra factors towards Serbia on Thursday than he did in his first 4 video games mixed (29). The People used a 24-8 run to take a 91-86 lead with 1:41 left within the fourth quarter.
Group USA wanted assist from the starters and reserves, together with a clutch MVP efficiency from LeBron James, to advance and face host France for the gold medal on Saturday. This shall be a rematch of the 2021 Tokyo Video games’ championship matchup.
LECAPTAIN AMERICA!
Group USA extends their lead over Serbia. #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC, USA Community and Peacock pic.twitter.com/FvYRv6Mw8f
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
“We knew it was going to be troublesome,” mentioned James, who had 16 factors, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in 32 minutes of motion. “We knew Serbia was going to provide us all the pieces that they had.”
James, who turns 40 on Dec. 30, recorded his second Olympic triple-double. The four-time NBA champ is the primary males’s basketball participant with a number of triple-doubles on the Olympics.
Groups USA is aiming to win its fifth consecutive Olympic gold
Regardless, it was nonetheless a group effort for the star-studded crew led by hot-hand Curry.
“It was solely a matter of time earlier than he had one in all these video games,” James mentioned of Curry. “We might see it each day. He places an excessive amount of work in to not have a recreation like this. We wouldn’t need it another means. … It was the right time for Chef to come back out and do what he did.”
Joel Embiid additionally added 19 factors, and Kevin Durant completed with 9 clutch factors. After all, Serbia’s Jokic had 17 factors and 11 assists, and Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 20 factors as properly.
Group USA is now going for its fifth consecutive Olympic gold on Saturday.
