A balanced team effort led Team USA to a big win over South Sudan at the 2024 Olympics on Wednesday, qualifying them for the quarterfinal in the process.
Team USA avoided any sort of upset bid against South Sudan on Wednesday, controlling the game from start to finish to win comfortably, 103-86. The win secures America a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Olympics.
The big news heading into the game was Anthony Davis's insertion into the starting lineup in place of Joel Embiid. Jayson Tatum, who was a healthy scratch in the team’s opener against Serbia, also jumped into the starting lineup in place of Jrue Holiday.
The move paid immediate dividends as Team USA raced out to a much better start than either the last meeting against South Sudan or the team’s Olympics opener against Serbia.
AD finished with eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 19 minutes of play. LeBron James had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 21 minutes.
With a more athletic starting lineup, the defense was suffocating. Offensively, LeBron started USA off strong once again. Kevin Durant wasn’t perfect from the field in this game, but still produced at a high level as well. Combined, LeBron and KD had 19 points in the first half.
It was far more of a team effort in the opening two quarters on this one, though. Bam Adebayo took the role of “bench player who goes perfect from the field” from Kevin Durant in this one, scoring a team-high 14 points on 6-6 shooting from the field, two of those 3-pointers, in the first half.
The defense was the star of the show, though, as South Sudan shot just 37% from the field in the first half and connected on five 3-pointers as America led comfortably throughout and headed into the locker room up 55-36.
The intensity on both sides of the ball dipped in the second half. With South Sudan catching fire from the 3-point line, Team USA’s lead shrunk all the way down to 10 points. Turnovers began to creep up as well, allowing extra possessions for South Sudan.
Timely 3-pointers from Derrick White and Anthony Edwards and a re-emergence of intensity defensively led to Team USA opening the lead back up to 19 points. Behind 53 bench points through the first three quarters, USA led 73-57 heading into the final frame.
AD was the latest victim of FIBA’s insane refs at the Olympics as he was handed an unsportsmanlike foul in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. That helped spark a run for South Sudan, who trimmed the margin back down to 11 points at 77-66.
Team USA responded with a run that featured just about everyone on the floor, including a KD 3-pointer, a Steph Curry layup and an and-one from Devin Booker that fouled out Wenyen Gabriel in the process. AD capped off the run with a huge dunk to put USA ahead 87-68 and force a South Sudan timeout.
KD AD pic.twitter.com/tc3JgUQNfO https://t.co/4iElyGce7D
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) July 31, 2024
With AD and LeBron closing out the game once again, the pair connected in an uncommon way for a huge LeBron jam that felt like the unofficial dagger in this one.
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) July 31, 2024
Team USA saw out the final minutes of the game following that dunk with LeBron and AD on the bench during that span. Former Laker Wenyen Gabriel fouled out in the middle of the fourth quarter, but still tallied 10 rebounds in 27 minutes.
Team USA saw six players reach double figures with Adebayo leading the way at 18 points. KD had 14 and Derrick White and Booker had 10 apiece. A late flurry of buckets in garbage time gave Anthony Edwards 13 points.
With a win over Puerto Rico, who lost to Serbia earlier in the day on Wednesday, Team USA will finish perfect in group play. Tip-off for the game is slated for 8:15 a.m. PT on Saturday.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.
