There have been moments during this Olympic tune-up run when the United States hasn’t looked like the mighty all-star team they were projected to be.
That was very much the case on Saturday, but they pulled through in the end, rallying for a way-too-close-for-comfort 101-100 win over heavy underdogs South Sudan at the O2 Stadium in London, England.
LeBron James, fresh off being called old by teammate Joel Embiid, led the way for the Americans with 23 points, including the game-winner for the USA. He also added six rebounds and six assists.
Lakers teammate Anthony Davis chipped in 15 points and 11 rebounds and Embiid had 14 points and seven rebounds.
South Sudan, FIBA’s No. 33 ranked team in the world and the lowest in the Olympic field, put up an incredible fight led by a stellar 15-point triple-double performance from Carlik Jones.
Marial Shayok, a native of Ottawa, added 25 points and was a big reason for South Sudan’s early lead, raining in six of his 12 looks from 3-point range.
Though it looked like the Americans had sealed the deal in the fourth quarter, South Sudan turned it back into a game with a late rally and a JT Thor 3-pointer to recapture the lead.
A clutch James layup on the other end flipped it back in favour of the States, but with eight seconds left, it was a game of inches, as a missed put-back dunk by Wenyen Gabriel in the final seconds kept the USA’s head above the water.
The USA needed a comeback of their own earlier in the game as they went into half-time down 14 points. The biggest lead for South Sudan was 16 points, but that was erased by an impressive, reputation-affirming 16-0 run by the U.S. at the end of the third quarter.
A big disparity in 3-point shooting was a key factor in South Sudan’s early lead, as they went into the half shooting 7-for-14 (50 per cent) from deep while the U.S. hit a paltry 1-for-12 (8.3 per cent) in the half.
Steph Curry managed to even it out somewhat in the second half, hitting three of the team’s seven total 3-pointers, including a deep shot to take the lead in the third quarter. Before that make, the U.S. hadn’t been in the lead since the 3:46 mark in the first quarter.
“We’ll get better and better,” James said in the team’s huddle after the game. “But we’re less than two weeks [into our time together] … good job, way to be resilient.”
The USA came into the game as a 42-point favourite.