Workforce 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 sport versus France. The Individuals trailed by 13 heading into the ultimate quarter.
Stephen Curry scored 36 factors, one shy of the American Olympic report for males’s basketball held by Carmelo Anthony
After beating Serbia twice prior to now three weeks – as soon as in a pleasant and as soon as in group play on the Summer time Video games – Workforce USA wanted an inconceivable fourth-quarter comeback to tug out a victory.
Serbia led for greater than 35 minutes of the 40-minute sport. Nonetheless, Workforce 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 greatest efficiency with Workforce USA, scoring a game-high 36 factors — one shy of the American Olympic report for males’s basketball held by Carmelo Anthony and essentially the most ever for a U.S. participant in a knockout sport, per ESPN Stats & Data.
CLUTCH DOWN THE STRETCH.
Relive Workforce USA’s INCREDIBLE comeback towards Serbia to advance to the gold medal sport! #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 Workforce 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 sport,” Workforce USA coach Steve Kerr stated. “It’s one of many biggest basketball video games I’ve ever been part of. They had been excellent.
“They performed the right sport, and so they pressured us to achieve the very best degree of competitors that we may discover. Our guys had been unbelievable in that fourth quarter, and so they obtained it completed. I’m so happy with the workforce.”
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 Individuals used a 24-8 run to take a 91-86 lead with 1:41 left within the fourth quarter.
Workforce 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 can be a rematch of the 2021 Tokyo Video games’ championship matchup.
LECAPTAIN AMERICA!
Workforce 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 tough,” stated James, who had 16 factors, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in 32 minutes of motion. “We knew Serbia was going to present us the whole lot 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 workforce effort for the star-studded crew led by hot-hand Curry.
“It was solely a matter of time earlier than he had certainly one of these video games,” James stated of Curry. “We may see it day-after-day. He places an excessive amount of work in to not have a sport like this. We wouldn’t need it some other 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.
Workforce USA is now going for its fifth consecutive Olympic gold on Saturday.
