The United States inched closer to the gold medal in the 2024 Olympic basketball tournament after thrashing Brazil, 122-87, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at the Belcy Arena in Paris, France. As impressive as Team USA ’s dominance was against a team some believed would give them a little trouble, head coach Steve Kerr knows their next two games will be this team’s most difficult tests.
On Thursday, the U.S. will face three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Serbia in the semifinals. If the Americans prevail in that game, they will battle the reigning FIBA World Cup champion, Germany, or the host country, France, in the gold-medal game.
A tough finale
Team USA has played superb basketball so far, winning by an average margin of 21 points in the group stage before routing the Brazilians by 35 on Wednesday. After the fantastic victory, Kerr gave his wards a pat on the back before turning his attention to the Serbians, who had gained incredible momentum after coming all the way back from a 24-point deficit to oust Australia in overtime in their quarterfinals showdown, 95-90.
“These guys have really turned it up,” Kerr said of his squad, which made sure to take the fight to their foes after seeing Canada and Australia, two highly touted squads in this competition, suffered defeats in their quarterfinal contests. “They’ve played really well for these four games, but our two toughest games will be the next two, no matter what happens. So we’ve got work to do.”
Six players scored in double figures for the U.S., led by Devin Booker’s 18 points, highlighted by five three-point makes. Anthony Edwards added 17, while 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid had 14 points and seven rebounds before sitting out the second half due to an ankle tweak. LeBron James had 12 points and nine assists, while Kevin Durant, who became USA Basketball’s all-time leading scorer, had 11.
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Who will step up next?
In each of Team USA’s four games in this tournament, a different player has led the team in scoring. Many wonder who will have it going in the upcoming semifinal bout against Serbia. Would it be Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum who scored only one field goal and five points against Brazil? Or could it be Stephen Curry, who attempted only three shots on Wednesday?
Kerr said Team USA’s primary advantage is their depth and versatility. They have many talented players who can step up on any night.
“That’s the beauty and the strength of our team is that it can be any one of these guys. They all have to carry their franchises individually when they go back to the NBA. So we know they’re capable of carrying our team on any given day, but we don’t know who it’s going to be, and that’s the strength of the team,” Steve shared.
The U.S. and Serbia have met once this summer in a tuneup game that the Americans won in runaway fashion, 105-79. However, with the stakes even higher and a slot in the gold-medal game on the line, both teams are expected to lay it all on the line for pride and glory.
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