Stephen Curry, who had been relatively quiet offensively during the U.S. Olympic team’s first two exhibitions before the Paris Games, stepped up significantly on Wednesday with his official Olympic debut less than two weeks away. Curry scored 24 points, leading Team USA to a 105-79 victory over Serbia, improving their record to 3-0 in their five-game exhibition series ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Bam Adebayo contributed 17 points, while Anthony Davis added seven points, six rebounds, and six blocks, anchoring a strong U.S. defensive effort that kept Serbia in check. Anthony Edwards scored 16 points, and LeBron James added 11.
The U.S. led by as many as 31 points in the second of two warmup games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Americans will now head to London to play two more tune-ups before heading to France. They will face South Sudan on Saturday and Germany on Monday at London’s O2 Arena.
Team USA started unevenly but used a 16-2 run in the second quarter to take a 56-42 lead, going into halftime up 59-45.
Nikola Jokic led Serbia with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Aleksa Avramovic added 14 points. Serbia, playing its second game in two days, came off a loss to Australia on Tuesday, a game in which it rested captain Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Wednesday’s game served as an important preview for both teams, as they will compete in Group C at the Olympics. They will open their quest for gold against each other on July 28.
FINISHING STRONG
After nearly squandering a big lead in its narrow victory over Australia on Monday, there was no letdown for Team USA this time. The Americans led by 25 points after three quarters and quickly increased the lead to 30 in the final quarter.
LINEUP SHUFFLE
The U.S. used its third different starting lineup, featuring Curry, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid. Curry, James, and Embiid have been constants in the starting lineup throughout the three exhibitions.
Embiid’s presence on the roster was strategic, aimed at countering bigger teams like Serbia, which features a trio of 7-footers. Although Embiid’s conditioning is not yet at its peak, he was active on both ends of the court, finding cutters on offense and acting as a deterrent in the lane on defense.
ENERGY SHIFTERS
For the second straight game, the U.S. reserves provided a spark. Edwards, Davis, Tyrese Haliburton, Bam Adebayo, and Devin Booker entered the game with 4:54 remaining in the first quarter, with the U.S. trailing 16-13. The U.S. outscored Serbia 15-12 for the rest of the period, tying the game at 28 going into the second quarter. The American reserves scored 28 points off the bench in the first half.
STILL NO DURANT
Kevin Durant sat out for the third straight game as he continues to recover from a calf strain suffered early in training camp. However, guard Derrick White made his debut after joining the team over the weekend as Kawhi Leonard’s replacement.
