Crew USA overcame a 17-point deficit in opposition to 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 report 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 – Crew USA wanted an unbelievable fourth-quarter comeback to drag out a victory.
Serbia led for greater than 35 minutes of the 40-minute recreation. Nevertheless, Crew USA dominated the ultimate quarter, outscoring the Serbians 32-15 to return again and take the lead for good on a Stephen Curry 3-pointer with 2:24 remaining.
Curry orchestrated his finest efficiency with Crew USA, scoring a game-high 36 factors — one shy of the American Olympic report for males’s basketball held by Carmelo Anthony and probably the most ever for a U.S. participant in a knockout recreation, per ESPN Stats & Info.
CLUTCH DOWN THE STRETCH.
Relive Crew USA’s INCREDIBLE comeback in opposition to Serbia to advance to the gold medal recreation! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/tBDMxWWOXZ
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
“That is probably the most enjoyable I’ve had in a really very long time.”
Stephen Curry displays on Crew 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,” Crew USA coach Steve Kerr stated. “It’s one of many biggest basketball video games I’ve ever been part of. They have been good.
“They performed the right recreation, and so they pressured us to achieve the very best degree of competitors that we might discover. Our guys have been unimaginable in that fourth quarter, and so they received it achieved. I’m so pleased with the crew.”
LeBron James notched his second Olympic triple-double
Curry scored extra factors in opposition to 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.
Crew 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!
Crew 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 offer us all the things 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 crew effort for the star-studded crew led by hot-hand Curry.
“It was solely a matter of time earlier than he had one in every of these video games,” James stated 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 approach. … It was the right time for Chef to return 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 effectively.
Crew USA is now going for its fifth consecutive Olympic gold on Saturday.
