Team USA had once again survived on the brink of losing after a close win against Serbia in the semifinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Head coach Steve Kerr described it as one of the greatest matches he had ever faced.
Post-game, Kerr recalls the influential game. An X (Twitter) user from Boston noted his short yet striking comment.
“One of the greatest basketball games I’ve ever been a part of. Humbled by being part of it.”
For most of the match, the Serbians led the game. They have eleven more points at the end of the first half than the US. Team USA even went down to 17 in the second quarter. Only a few Americans contributed, particularly Steph Curry; others struggled to shoot from deep.
At the end of the third quarter, the European powerhouses were 76, while the 2020 Tokyo gold medalists were 63. It was at that time that Team USA finally bounced back. They finally resolved their issue of playing defense while leading the usual offense. Olympic veterans Lebron James and Kevin Durant, while the newbie Curry prompted the USA to victory.
The match ended 95-91, with Team USA emerging victorious. Curry led the team, gaining 36 points. He only needed one to have the most points by an American player in Olympic history. Nevertheless, the Warriors forward’s contributions are still to be noticed.
Aside from Steph, only two American players got double-digit points, mainly in the fourth quarter of the clutch. Two-time Olympic gold medalist LeBron James got 16 points with 8-of-11 shooting and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid made some massive defenses, gaining 19 points. Kevin Durant had nine points.
Meanwhile, two NBA players also heated up for Team Serbia. Brooklyn Nets’ Bojan Bogdanovic scored the most, gaining twenty points and four assists. Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic scored 17 points, 11 assists and five rebounds. CSKA Moscow’s Aleksa Avramovic scored 15 points, three assists, and four rebounds.
Team USA will advance to the Olympic Finals.
The American powerhouses will face Team France, led by the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and other NBA players. Like the USA vs Serbia match, France vs Germany was also a very close game. For the first time, the Blues had defeated the German powerhouse for two years.
The USA will battle France for the gold medal on August 10. Meanwhile, Serbia and Germany will compete for the bronze.
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