Team USA nearly lost to South Sudan in an exhibition game. It was a much different story at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday, as the Americans secured a 103-86 victory and clinched a berth into the quarterfinals.
Canada, France and Germany have also advanced to the quarterfinals. Puerto Rico is the only team that has been officially eliminated.
“It’s not the goal,” Anthony Davis said of making the quarterfinals, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “It does give us a sense of satisfaction as far as being able to play next week. But there’s a lot that we can get better at, a lot that we can clean up, and we’ll use Saturday’s game against Puerto Rico to tighten the screws again and then just see where it takes us from there.”
Bam Adebayo was Team USA’s leading scorer with 18 points and Kevin Durant, coming off his dominant outing in the opening win over Serbia, added 14.
We have more on Team USA:
- Adebayo received extended minutes because coach Steve Kerr gave Joel Embiid the night off, Brian Windhorst of ESPN notes. Jayson Tatum, who never left the bench against Serbia, was in the starting lineup. Jrue Holiday came off the bench after starting the opener, while Davis replaced Embiid in the starting five. Embiid and Holiday will return to the lineup against Puerto Rico. “We have an embarrassment of riches on this roster, that’s the best way to put it,” Kerr said. “I mean these guys are all champions, All-Stars, Hall of Famers, however you want to put it. So the whole thing is are we committed to the goal? That’s it.”
- Tatum wasn’t upset about getting benched in the opener, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets. “It’s a unique situation and it’s not about one individual player,” Tatum said. “The competitor in you wants to play, obviously. But I’m not here to make a story, making it about myself. We won. I was just glad to get back out there and play again today. There was a lot of chatter over the last few days but I was in good spirits, I had a good attitude about it. I’m not holding any grudges or anything.”
- South Sudan coach and Rockets assistant Royal Ivey anticipated that Team USA wouldn’t overlook his team again, Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews writes. “In London, they weren’t prepared for us. We came there and tried to hit them on the chin, but we almost had a knockout. And now, this time, they were prepared,” Ivey said. “They were ready for the punches we threw. They blocked them, and they threw haymakers at us. And that’s a fight for you.”
Quite pathetic of media creating and feeding this Tatum-was-wronged narrative.
I’m no fan of Kerr, but he, everyone there has a job to do – win the gold, not to manage egos.
Amen brother! The guy is 0-11 on jump shots in this Olympic stretch and was horrible shooting in the playoffs. Call it what it is he’s playing poorly and quite honestly is proving Jaylen Brown should have been on the team not him.
like I said before its the media that was pushing it not Tatum. Tatum is a stand up guy and knows the goal is to win a gold medal.
If Tatum is a stand up guy does that make Embiid a sit down guy? Lol
Props to Royal Ivey (and his team, more importantly) but are we sure the journalist wasn’t distracting him from the boxing match he was watching when the journalist asked the question?
Would be so much more entertaining if the USA team had to made of guys going to their first ever Olympics. Every 4 years a new wave of talent.
Team USA is just stupidly stacked with good players and no one cares to see 15 of the best go up against 2 nba role players 3 GLeague level players and then 10 average joes off the street.
It’s got just as much appeal as the all star game.
A team made of rookie to the Olympics
Tyrese Haliburton —Jalen Brunson —DeAaron Fox
Anthony Edwards — Donovan Mitchell
Kawhi Leonard — Jaylen Brown — Scottie Barnes
Zion Williamson — Jaren Jackson Jr
Joel Embiid — Karl Anthony-Towns — Jarrett Allen
Still incredibly stacked but exciting that every time it rolls around new guys are getting the chance to play international ball.
Who knew that without a 40 year old Bron Teqm USA likely has no chance. Embiid has done nothing!
Lol, Bron is better rested than most. Didn’t have him last Olympics, looked OK. Jrue, Booker, Tatum, KD and Bam looked much smoother to me. The insert Draymond for Bam small ball line up was killer and unstoppable, looked and played like a actual team. This team is playing off individual talent, more iso, my turn your turn.
Canada has a lot of talent. They will not be a cake walk.
I’m aware.
Bam was all over the floor in that game