Team USA men's basketball may have thought Saturday's showcase against South Sudan was going to be relatively easy work, but had to stage a major comeback in its penultimate warm-up before the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Team USA trailed by as many as 16 points, but stormed back with a massive third quarter to claim a 101-100 win over a South Sudan team that fielded just one current NBA player.
LeBron James ended up leading Team USA with 23 points, sparking the comeback by sparking some emotion and finishing off multiple plays with statement dunks. Anthony Davis chipped in with a double-double off the bench, putting up 15 points and adding 11 rebounds.
Still, the story of the game might have been on the losing side. South Sudan got a triple-double out of Carlik Jones, whose stat line included 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Former Philadelphia 76ers draft pick Marial Shayok led all scorers with 25 points, going 6-for-12 from three-point range.
It was a much tougher game than expected, especially after Team USA's pre-Olympic showcase schedule hadn't included many close calls. Coach Steve Kerr's team posted an 86-72 win over Canada last week before holding off Australia late Monday to win 98-92. Most recently, Team USA rolled to a 105-79 win over a Serbia team featuring three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić.
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South Sudan used Saturday's game to serve notice that they're capable of worrying any team at these Olympics, and these two teams will meet again in Group C in just under two weeks.
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Team USA will get one more exhibition game in before the 2024 Paris Olympics get underway. The U.S. will play Germany in London on Monday, July 22, with tip-off set for 3 p.m. ET.
South Sudan gets multiple bites at the rim, but Team USA — thanks in part to a key block from Anthony Edwards amid the chaos — somehow survives, hanging on for a one-point win.
Oddsmakers listed Team USA as a 40-plus point favorite before tip-off, but South Sudan put in an incredible effort, particularly in an outstanding first half.
It's going down to the wire here, with LeBron James driving along the baseline to put Team USA back up by one.
That's a huge play from LeBron, but now the U.S. has to come up with a stop. South Sudan will inbound with eight seconds to go.
Patience from South Sudan ends with another basket, and after Anthony Davis' dunk attempt won't fall, the game is suddenly up for grabs.
JT Thor missed a three moments ago, but with LeBron James in his face nails a triple from the corner. South Sudan is up 100-99 with 20 seconds to play in what has become a real thriller.
With a seven-point lead now, the U.S. is focusing on defense. Three straight stops and some patience have kept South Sudan from sparking a comeback attempt.
However, just as it looks like Team USA might break the century mark, a miss and a quick outlet from South Sudan finds Marial Shayok for his sixth three-ball of the game.
With 90 seconds to play, it's 99-95 USA.
The LA Lakers star comes up with a big bucket, and Team USA maintains what is a narrow lead.
Jayson Tatum and Carlik Jones trade baskets, and it's 95-92 with just 3:30 to play. South Sudan isn't going away here.
Carlik Jones wasted no time making sure he gets that triple-double with a nice drive and layup. That gives him 11 points on the night, to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Fox broadcast team is talking up his prospects for a return to the NBA, and it's not hard to see why.
Carlik Jones has a double-double already, with 10 assists and 10 rebounds. With nine points, the South Sudanese-American (who has just 12 career NBA games spread across three seasons) would have a triple-double against Team USA.
With 6:45 to go, it's 90-84 USA.
Devin Booker's long-range three is followed up by a Steph Curry shot from nearly out of bounds, and Team USA has its first lead since the first quarter.
Suddenly it's all USA, as Shayok finally misses. LeBron James finishes the quarter off with a dish to Joel Embiid, whose layup at the buzzer means the U.S. suddenly has a five-point lead.
A wild third quarter saw Team USA score a whopping 37 points. That's a statement after a sloppy, disinterested first half.
Jrue Holiday's hustle along the sideline keeps a play alive, and LeBron takes advantage, throwing down a huge dunk despite being fouled.
LeBron flexes, hits the free throw, and suddenly it's 76-71.
USA is getting improved effort for sure, but turnovers and transition defense remain issues. South Sudan is taking advantage, with Marial Shayok hitting his fifth three-pointer of the night after yet another Carlik Jones assist.
Despite Team USA stepping it up, with three to go in the third quarter the "Bright Stars" lead by 11.
Team USA had to improve coming out of the locker room, and so far whatever changes were made are working. A 14-4 run in the first 3:45 of this half has turned what was a 14-point deficit into a two-possession game after Bam Adebayo knocks down two free throws.
Former Baylor Bear Omot cleans up a rebound with a huge dunk on Davis for 11 points on the night.
Anthony Edwards's block on the perimeter turns into an and-one for Tatum on the other side of the floor. Team USA chipping away at this sizable deficit.
Anthony Edwards, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis start the second half with a fresh look to kick things off.
An upset is brewing in London, with Team USA looking sluggish and shooting poorly. South Sudan is creating openings to attack in transition, forcing turnovers, and shooting with confidence. This scoreline is no accident.
LeBron James leads the U.S. with 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting. However, the 39-year-old superstar also has a game-high four turnovers, underlining one of Team USA's several issues in this first half.
South Sudan guard Carlik Jones is the star of the show, with 13 points and 6 assists (including more than one bucket scored by driving right at James).
Team USA is shooting 1-for-12 from three. South Sudan is has seven three for 50% from beyond the arc.
South Sudan has been playing with more energy and precision, but two straight stops on defense have been followed by a LeBron James drive and a Jrue Holiday layup after Devin Booker forced a turnover.
Even with those points, Team USA trails by 11 with a minute to go in the half.
Things have slowed down here after a long review of an out-of-bounds call is followed by a timeout on the floor.
South Sudan is shooting over 57% from the floor, including a gaudy 6-for-13 from three-point range. The U.S., meanwhile, has hit from three just once, and is 10-for-20 inside the arc. It boils down to Team USA getting more low-quality looks, while South Sudan is creating open shots by pushing the tempo in transition.
Steve Kerr has seen enough, bringing his starting five back into the game. That group came out with a lead, but South Sudan is now up by a stunning 15 after Steph Curry misses three-pointers on either side of a USA turnover.
You're reading that right: it's 43-28 South Sudan.
South Sudan is shooting the lights out, with Nuni Omot's three from a full step back from the arc hitting their sixth three-pointer of the day.
It's 36-28 South Sudan as Team USA misses its next three shots to boot.
Maluach is a 7-1, 250-pound center who comes by way of the NBA Academy Africa. Domestic fans will see a lot more of him as he has committed to Duke.
He comes in highly touted according to 247Sports and is heralded as the No. 4-ranked player and the No. 1-ranked center in the class.
Despite coming out hot, Team USA has fallen behind South Sudan by two, 26-24.
South Sudan has been pretty sharp from three-point range, while USA has settled for some contested shots that didn't fall.
Bam Adebayo is wide open after USA forces a turnover, and goes up for a powerful dunk.
However, South Sudan replies with a three right away, and with a minute to go in the first quarter, the United States trails 23-19.
Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jayson Tatum have all checked in for coach Steve Kerr, who made a line change.
However, South Sudan's last few minutes have been good, and a dunk from 17-year-old Khaman Maluach makes it 18-16 in his side's favor.
Former NBA power forward Wenyen Gabriel just made plays at both ends, draining a three before drawing a foul through some quick defensive footwork.
Marial Shayok drains a three shortly thereafter, and South Sudan is down by two...until Steph Curry nails a characteristic off-balance three.
Team USA is wasting no time taking charge of this exhibition. It's 10-2 within the first three minutes, with the U.S. finishing multiple possessions off with statement dunks.
That includes one from LeBron James in transition.
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Group A:
Group B:
Group C:
The 2024 Paris Olympics start on July 24 and run through August 11.
TV: Games broadcast across NBC, USA Network, E!, Telemundo, CNBC
Streaming: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com
The final two USA Basketball Showcase exhibition games will take place at The O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. The arena will also welcome the women's national team on July 23 for an exhibition game against Germany.
The star-studded U.S. squad is essentially an NBA all-star team, and includes a trio (Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White) from the championship-winning Boston Celtics.
Veterans like LeBron James and Steph Curry seem locked in as starters for head coach Steve Kerr, while Tatum made this past season's All-NBA First Team. Center Anthony Davis, forward Kevin Durant, and guard Anthony Edwards all made the Second Team, and each has the ability to take over any game they're in.
Joel Embiid, despite some worries over his conditioning, may end up being critical, as he's the lone seven-footer on the roster for an Olympic games that may be all about dominating in the paint.
Even in Bol Bol's absence, who cited personal reasons for withdrawing from the South Sudan roster on Friday, a win over Great Britain in London underlines that there are still some strong players ready to play for head coach Royal Ivey (who moonlights as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets).
Guard Carlik Jones and small forward Marial Shayok starred in that win over Team GB, with Shayok leading South Sudan with 27 points thanks in part to going 4-for-6 from three-point range. Jones chipped in 13 points and a game-best eight assists.
Nebraska-born JT Thor didn't participate in that warm-up game, but with Bol's withdrawal, the Phoenix Suns power forward is South Sudan's lone player on an NBA roster.
The schedule is according to NBCOlympics.com and is subject to change.
On the women's side, action begins on July 29 with an exhibition taking place on July 23.
The men's Olympic basketball team has 19 medals, including 16 gold medals. The most recent coming in the 2020 Olympic Games.
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