The US men’s basketball team nearly suffered a huge shock on Thursday night as they narrowly escaped defeat at the hands of Serbia in the semi-final of the Paris Olympics.
The team, led by LeBron James, Stephen Curry and a host of NBA All-Stars, were expected to stroll to another Olympic title, even thought the rest of the world has been catching up with the Americans in recent years.
Instead, they almost fell to a team led by the best player in the world, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić. At the start of the final quarter, Serbia led 76-63 and it took a huge effort from the US to recover.
The game revolved around a period of play in which the US scored six points in two seconds with Serbia leading 78-67 with just over seven minutes left. Kevin Durant scored a three-pointer as Anthony Davis was fouled meaning the US retained possession and Devin Booker duly scored another three to cut the lead to 78-73. The passage of play appeared to rattle Serbia and inspire the Americans, and two threes from Curry put the US up for good.
“I’ve seen a lot of Team USA basketball,” Curry said. “And that was a special one.”
Curry and James were the heroes for the US in their 95-91 victory. James recorded a triple-double while Curry scored 36 points. Serbia had led for 35:12, nearly 90% of the game.
“That was a godlike performance,” Durant said of Curry.
Bogdan Bogdanovic led Serbia with 20 points, while Jokić had 17 and 11 assists. Joel Embiid, who has been heartily booed through the tournament after choosing to play for the US over hosts France, had 19 points.
Coming into the Paris Games, the US had won gold in eight of the last 10 Olympics, with their last stumble coming in 2004 when they won bronze.
USA coach Steve Kerr was effusive in his praise for Serbia.
“I’m really humbled to have been a part of this game,” Kerr said. “It’s one of the greatest basketball games I’ve ever been a part of. They were perfect. They played a perfect game … and they forced us to reach the highest level of competition that we could find. And our guys were incredible in that fourth quarter, and they got it done.”
The US will play France in the final after the hosts beat Germany 73-69 in the other semi-final in front of a raucous home crowd. NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama was bloodied at the end of the game after suffering a cut to his neck.
“In our national anthem, we talk about blood,” Wembanyama said after the game. “We’re willing to spill blood on the court. So, it’s no big deal. If it allows us to win gold, I’m offering. Take all of it.”