U.S. males’s basketball group beats Serbia and can play for Olympic gold : NPR

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PARIS — In Steph Curry’s first journey to the Olympic Video games, he was not going to be denied an opportunity to play for a gold medal.

For practically all of Thursday’s semifinal sport towards Serbia, the U.S. lagged behind its opponent, Serbia. Apart from Curry, who hit 9 three-pointers and led all scorers with 36 factors, Workforce USA’s assortment of future Corridor of Famers largely struggled to seek out the basket.

Even because the fourth quarter started, the U.S. trailed by 13.

However then Workforce USA started to do Workforce USA issues: A Kevin Durant three-pointer amid a collision of our bodies, adopted one second later by one other three, this one from Devin Booker. A decided LeBron James layup. Three back-to-back-to-back photographs by middle Joel Embiid amid boos from the gang of 12,213 in Paris’ Bercy Area.

And at last — who else — a Curry three-pointer from the highest of the important thing to reclaim the lead. The U.S. held on till the buzzer for a 95-91 win.

“Hopefully now we have one other win on Saturday, and you’ll look again on this sport because the one which challenged us and examined us, and the one you will keep in mind,” Curry instructed reporters after the sport.

Thursday’s sport was the third time up to now month that the U.S. had confronted Serbia, led by the Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic. The earlier two instances the U.S. had gained simply: first 105-79 in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi, then a 110-84 victory in Olympic group play.

However on Saturday, Serbia performed “the right sport,” Workforce USA head coach Steve Kerr mentioned afterward. “I am actually humbled to have been part of this sport. It was one of many best basketball video games I’ve ever been part of,” he mentioned.

For greater than 33 minutes straight within the 40-minute sport, Serbia led, starting with a three-pointer from Bogdan Bogdanovic, one other NBA veteran, that put Serbia on high 16-15 with 5:49 remaining within the first quarter. They didn’t relinquish that lead till solely 2:24 remained within the sport.

“Over 40 minutes, I feel our expertise wore them down,” Kerr mentioned. “We at all times really feel like now we have the deepest group. We’ve got probably the most nice gamers. The opposite international locations, all of them have nice gamers now. However now we have probably the most nice gamers. And we really feel assured that over 40 minutes, it will play itself out. However it was dicey for many of the night time.”

At the same time as Serbia constructed and clung to its lead — at its largest, a 17-point hole within the second quarter — there by no means was a panic amongst Workforce USA, Curry mentioned. At halftime, he added, the temper within the locker room was “eerily calm.”

“We all know what we have to do, and also you simply maintain telling your self that till the ultimate second,” he mentioned. “That is what basketball is.”

Workforce USA’s victory units up a rematch of the gold medal sport from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, wherein the U.S. beat France. A lot of that French group has turned over since, and it now options Victor Wembanyama, the 20-year-old phenom for the San Antonio Spurs whose 7-foot-4 body and fluidity with the ball made him probably the most coveted prospect in a technology. Final 12 months, in his rookie NBA season, he lived as much as the hype, main the league in blocks and unanimously profitable Rookie of the 12 months.

France earned its berth within the gold medal match with an 73-69 win over Germany in its semifinal earlier Thursday. France has gained three Olympic silver medals, but it surely has by no means gained gold. (The U.S. has gained all however one gold medal since 1992, the primary 12 months that professionals had been allowed to take part. The one exception was in 2004, when Argentina gained gold and the U.S. settled for bronze.)

“It’s going to be a tricky take a look at, particularly in right here. They’re enjoying with confidence,” mentioned Durant, who scored 9 factors. “We received our work reduce out for us, particularly in right here. It is going to be the loudest it is ever been.”

In a preview of what’s positive to be a pro-France crowd on Saturday, Embiid was showered with boos each time he touched the ball, as he has been all through these Olympics after he rejected a proposal final 12 months to play for the French nationwide group.

Embiid, who was born in Cameroon and holds French citizenship, not too long ago instructed the New York Occasions Journal that his choice had been influenced by poor relations between France and Cameroon, which was ruled by France earlier than its independence in 1960. (Cameroon’s group didn’t qualify for the Olympics.)

“I nonetheless received my household residing in Cameroon, and I don’t wish to put them by any of that stuff,” Embiid mentioned. “I would like them to be protected, and the connection between France and Cameroon or Africa generally is simply not good.”

On Thursday, Embiid scored 19 factors. And he mentioned he welcomes the jeers — and the gold medal match towards France. “I am not going to sit down right here and say that I do not love France. I do love France,” Embiid instructed reporters. “The banter towards the followers — that is love and respect. I am going to take something they offer me.”