For the third time in the last month, Team USA faced Serbia in men’s basketball, but after cruising to two comfortable wins in exhibition and group stage play, they faced a much stiffer test in the Olympic semifinals.
Serbia came out aggressive, as they were red-hot shooting the ball in the first quarter, jumping out to a 31-23 lead on Team USA. The only reason the Americans were able to stay within touch was Stephen Curry finally snapping his Olympic shooting slump, as he had 17 in the first quarter, keeping Team USA’s offense afloat single-handedly.
Chef Curry was COOKING early. 🔥
14 points in the first THREE MINUTES AND 34 SECONDS.#ParisOlympics | 📺 USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/TnUR25TnAp
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
However, no one else from Team USA could get it going and Serbia just kept piling in buckets, with a Nikola Jokic and-1 putting them up by 16 in the second quarter.
Nikola Jokić AND ONE! 😳
Serbia has come out STRONG against Team USA. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/H8nclNvl6H
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 8, 2024
The Americans would chip away to get that lead back to 11 by halftime, as Joel Embiid — who authored his best game of the Olympics — had a massive dunk to show some life for Team USA.
JOEL EMBIID THROWS IT DOWN WITH AUTHORITY. 🇺🇸😤
📺 USA Network and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/pUon7sfXWU
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
The two teams would go back-and-forth in the third, with Team USA getting the lead down to a two-possession game in the mid-third quarter, but Serbia would explode ahead again with a flurry late in the third quarter, as their lead ballooned back up to 15 late after Marko Guduric got a 4-point play that had the arena buzzing.
FOUR POINT PLAY for Serbia. 👀 Marko Guduric extends the lead to 15.#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC, USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/YVwC0rHvGm
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
The fourth quarter saw Serbia looking to work clock and keep Team USA out of transition, but in doing so, they got themselves out of rhythm and into foul trouble. With seven minutes to go, one of the biggest swings of the game went the way of Team USA. Nikola Jokic picked up his fourth foul when he pushed Anthony Davis into Kevin Durant as he came down from hitting a three-pointer. That gave the Americans a side-out and the bucket, and they turned that into a six-point possession on a Devin Booker three to trim Serbia’s lead down to five.
Team USA pulls within FIVE. We got a game at Bercy Arena.
📺 USA Network and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/mGrkXZ8PNu
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
From there, Serbia just could not come up with consistently good offense, while Curry, Embiid, and LeBron James came up with clutch buckets to get the game tied and, eventually, reclaim the lead for the first time since the very early stages of the first quarter.
LEBRON JAMES TIES IT UP FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 👑🇺🇸#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC, USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/B3puaz0kmJ
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
STEPHEN. CURRY. TEAM USA LEADS.#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC, USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/C4MUUl1v78
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
LECAPTAIN AMERICA!
Team USA extends their lead over Serbia. #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC, USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/FvYRv6Mw8f
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
The dagger came on a Kevin Durant midrange jumper that extended the lead to four, and Serbia just could never fully close the gap again, as the Americans iced it at the free throw line with Curry.
look at carmelo waving em off 😂
let KD cook pic.twitter.com/n7BBi1CO2Y
— Devin Walker (@Devin_Walker2) August 8, 2024
Steph finished the game with 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including nine made threes, while LeBron had a 16-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, and Embiid had 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Those three pretty much made up Team USA’s offensive attack, with Durant finding some key late buckets but only scoring nine on the night.
Serbia got a 20-point night from Bogdan Bogdanovic and 17 points and 11 assists from Jokic, and poured in 15 threes as a team, but their shot went cold late as they missed a handful of good looks, as the tension of the moment seemed to catch up with their non-stars late in the game.
The Americans will now face France on Saturday in a highly anticipated gold medal showdown between the favorites and the host nation, while Serbia will play Germany for the bronze.