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Last Updated On: Apr 19, 2025 05:57 PM , Published On: Aug 02, 2024 08:22 AM
This time, the American men's basketball team competing in the Olympics would not suffer an upset or even face the possibility of one. In a game that was never ever in doubt but was also by no means a rout, the United States of America defeated South Sudan 103-86 on Wednesday night to secure an automatic ticket to the Olympic quarterfinals in Paris.
The Americans, dominated by Bam Adebayo and Kevin Durant, captured the lead with a 25–4 rise in the first half. And the U.S. reserves, under Adebayo's leadership, scored 66 points.
"We've been referring to ourselves as the bench mob for quite some time," Adebayo declared. It is also irrelevant who is in the starting lineup. We sort things out every time.
Competition Performances on Saturday
LeBron James scored 12, and Anthony Edwards shot 13 for the United States. Nuni Omot topped South Sudan with 21 points, followed by Carlik Jones with 18 and Bul Kuol with 16.
The victory guaranteed the United States a spot in the elimination phase and the top seed out of the Paris Olympics Group C. They will now play Canada, France, and Germany in the quarterfinals. Only Puerto Rico, which takes on the Americans on Saturday, is no longer in the running for the remaining four quarterfinal slots; seven teams remain in the running.
However, the U.S. is not completely out of the race for this Saturday's match, which is the first between Puerto Rico and the United States at the Paris Olympics 2024 since a shameful 92-73 loss in Athens 20 years ago.
The Americans' best opportunity of earning a top-two seed for the knockout stage and, theoretically, an easy quarterfinal encounter would come from a 3-0 group play record.
Competition Performances on Tuesday
On Saturday, South Sudan concludes its group stage campaign against Serbia, a match both teams hope to advance to the next round. All four quarterfinal matches occurred in Paris on Tuesday, with the quarterfinal draw on Saturday night.
After the opening credits, South Sudan briefly scored 7-6 and 10-8. However, the plot soon became outdated. The Americans scored 33-14 after Durant's 3-pointer with just under a minute remaining in the first quarter, which gave them their first double-digit advantage.
With 8:42 remaining in the half, Adebayo's inside basketball tournament completed a 25-4 run. The U.S. won 73-57 in the last ten minutes, while South Sudan closed the gap to 10 points in the third.
Final Thoughts on Competition
Most of the drama, if any, took place before the game. Steve Kerr, the head coach of the United States, substituted Jayson Tatum and Davis for Joel Embiid and Jrue Holiday in the beginning lineup.
The United States went to an 11-man rotation for the first half and led 55-36 at the intermission. Embiid did not play, and Tyrese Haliburton had his first Olympic action.
In the second half, South Sudan outscored the United States by two, although it didn't really matter.
"We have twelve guys who can all play very well," Kerr remarked. Every evening will be a little bit different. However, given the level of players on our squad, we like our chances.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who will be a 2024 USA men's basketball team member?
Curry, James, Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, and Durant round out Kendra Andrews's lineup. Steve Kerr, the coach of Team USA, has stated that he will constantly alter his starting lineup based on the opponent.
Q. Where is Paris 2024's basketball court?
On Wednesday, July 31, men's basketball action resumed on the courts of Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille at Paris 2024, with two blowouts.