They knew it would not be easy, but the USA men’s basketball team is one win away from gold. Team USA used an epic fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Nikola Jokic and Serbia 95-91 in the semifinals.
Stephen Curry reminded the world why he is regarded as the greatest shooter to ever live by scoring 36 points on 9-14 shooting from beyond the arc. Curry had struggled up to this point during the Olympics, but when his team needed him the most, he stepped up with the biggest performance from any member of the roster this Summer.
“It was only a matter of time before he had one of these games. We can see it every day; he puts in too much work not to have a game like this, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. It was the perfect time for Chef to come out and do what he did,” said LeBron James.
At one point in the third quarter, Curry had accounted for nearly half of the team’s points (27 of their 56), and his clutch three with 2:24 left on the clock gave the Americans their first lead of the game since early in the first quarter. Without his contributions, Serbia would have blown them out.
“I just kinda got lost in the moment of understanding how big this stage is and what is at stake for this team. That is the most fun I have had in a very long time. To dig deep like we did with this group and get a win is special. I am just kind of basking in that right now, and obviously, we know we got another tough challenge in France on their home court,” said Curry.
The megastars for Team USA all showed up late in the game. Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, and James all pitched in with timely buckets to outlast Serbia’s incredible effort. James posted a triple-double, and Embiid finished with 19 points.
Head coach Steve Kerr tightened up his rotation as only six members of the team played more than 13 minutes. It took a heightened sense of urgency and focus for the Americans to overcome the fantastic play of Jokic (17 points, 11 assists), Bogdan Bogdanovic (20 points), and Aleksa Avramovic (15 points).
“That was one of the best games I have ever been a part of, for the simple fact that we dug deep, being down 15 that late in the game,” said Durant. “We talked about how each game somebody is going to have to step up, it might be your night, and (Curry) came and had the best night out of anybody the whole tournament. It was so incredible to watch him knock down shots and keep us afloat. LeBron played extremely hard the whole game, and Joel was insane tonight.”
France presents a new challenge in the title game, but it is hard to imagine anyone stopping this USA team after coming off such a gritty and emotional victory. Victor Wembanyama is the player to watch out for, standing 7’4″ with a long frame and possessing a unique athletic ability.
Still, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year is only 20 years old and might not have the experience to take down a juggernaut like Team USA in the same way that a three-time MVP like Jokic was almost able to.
“I know this is probably my one and only time to enjoy this stage, and having seen Team USA play for years, I know what it means to stand on that podium and get a gold medal,” said Curry. “I just praise God that I was able to stay confident. I haven’t had it going this whole tournament, but that doesn’t mean anything. You just gotta stay ready for your moment.”
Benjamin Verbrugge is a reporter for News4usonline who studied journalism at CSU Dominguez Hills. “Sports have brought me much joy throughout my life, and I want to give a little back to something that has meant so much to me.” Email Benjamin at benverbrugge8@gmail.com.
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