In a thrilling Olympic semifinal, the US men’s basketball team orchestrated a stunning comeback to defeat Serbia 95-91, securing their place in the gold medal match. The Americans, who trailed by as much as 17 points in the first half, found themselves down by 11 in the fourth quarter before mounting their impressive rally.Stephen Curry led the charge with a spectacular 36-point performance, including nine three-pointers. His go-ahead three-pointer with 2:16 left in the game proved crucial in sealing the victory. Curry’s scoring output was just one point shy of the American Olympic record for men’s basketball, held by Carmelo Anthony.LeBron James also etched his name in the Olympic record books, recording his second triple-double in Olympic history with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. This performance made James the first player to achieve multiple triple-doubles across different Olympic editions.The US team’s comeback was sparked by a remarkable sequence where they scored six points in just two seconds, igniting their fourth-quarter surge. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker were instrumental in initiating this pivotal run.Despite the loss, Serbia put up a formidable fight, led by NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, who contributed 17 points and 11 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 20 points for the Serbian side.The victory improves the US team’s all-time Olympic record to an impressive 144-6. They will now face host nation France in the gold medal game on Saturday. This matchup is a rematch of the 2021 Olympic final, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the contest.In the bronze medal game, Serbia will face Germany, who were defeated by France in the other semifinal.As the US team prepares for the final, they’ll be buoyed by their resilience and star power. As Curry remarked after the game, ‘I’ve seen a lot of basketball from Team USA, and that was special.’
Key points
- US men’s basketball team overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat Serbia 95-91 in the Olympic semifinals.
- Stephen Curry led the US with 36 points, including a crucial go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minutes.
- LeBron James recorded his second Olympic triple-double, a first in Olympic basketball history.
- The US will face host nation France in the gold medal game on Saturday.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in reporting the exact deficit faced by the US team, with some sources citing a 17-point halftime deficit, while others mention an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
