In a remarkable turnaround, the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team secured a spot in the gold-medal game of the Paris Olympics after overcoming a 17-point deficit to defeat Serbia 95-91. The Americans will now face France in the final on Saturday.
Stephen Curry led the U.S. with 36 points, including a crucial 3-pointer that put his team ahead with 2:16 remaining. The U.S. trailed by 11 points with 7:19 left in the game, but a swift six-point burst within two seconds in the fourth quarter turned the momentum in their favor.
Curry’s 36 points were the second-highest in U.S. Olympic history, just one point shy of Carmelo Anthony’s record of 37. Joel Embiid contributed 19 points, and LeBron James added 16. This victory ensures that the U.S. will compete for its 20th Olympic medal in men’s basketball.
Serbia, which had led for nearly 90% of the game, will now compete for bronze against Germany. Bogdan Bogdanovic led Serbia with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic and Aleksa Avramovic added 17 and 15 points, respectively.
The game-changing sequence occurred in the fourth quarter when Kevin Durant made a 3-pointer, followed by Devin Booker scoring another three-pointer off an inbound play. This reduced Serbia’s lead from 78-67 to 78-73, setting the stage for the U.S. comeback.
Despite Serbia’s strong performance, including a series of successful 3-pointers, the U.S. improved its all-time Olympic record to 144-6. The Americans are now 63-4 since NBA players began participating in the Olympics in 1992.
U.S. coach Steve Kerr praised Serbia’s performance, calling the game one of the greatest he has ever been a part of. Serbia coach Svetislav Petic maintained that the current U.S. team is better than any in Olympic history.
The victory also keeps Kevin Durant’s chance to become the first four-time Olympic men’s gold medalist alive. The U.S. will aim to reclaim the international basketball crown after finishing fourth at the World Cup last summer.
