On Friday, LeBron James will carry the U.S. flag. However first, he carried the U.S. males’s basketball workforce.
Once more.
James scored the ultimate 11 factors for the Individuals down the stretch, and the four-time reigning Olympic gold medalists held off World Cup champion Germany 92-88 in London on Monday night time of their remaining tune-up earlier than the Paris Video games begin later this week.
Introduced earlier within the day because the male flagbearer for the Individuals in Friday night time’s opening ceremony down the River Seine — the feminine flagbearer will likely be revealed Tuesday — James got here by way of time and time once more down the stretch, simply as he did over the weekend when his layup with 8 seconds left gave the U.S. a 101-100 win over upstart South Sudan.
James had 20 factors for the U.S., whereas Joel Embiid scored 15, Stephen Curry had 13 and Anthony Edwards completed with 11.
“It was a superb take a look at for us. And I’m glad we have been in a position to as soon as once more, you recognize, preserve our composure, persevere like we did the opposite day versus South Sudan,” James mentioned. “It was a superb win for us.”
Franz Wagner led Germany with 18 factors. Andreas Obst — the hero of final 12 months’s German win over the U.S. within the World Cup semifinals — had 14, whereas Dennis Schroder had a 13-point, 10-assist night time. Daniel Theis added 13 for Germany and Moritz Wagner scored 12.
The Individuals completed their exhibition slate 5-0, however there was just one recreation that was a real cakewalk. That was towards Serbia, the workforce that’ll face the U.S. on Sunday within the first Olympic recreation this summer season for each groups.
Canada gave the U.S. points at instances, Australia got here from approach again to make issues fascinating on the finish, South Sudan almost pulled off an upset as a 43.5-point underdog and the Germans had the lead over the U.S. with 4 minutes left on Monday.
Then it was James’ time. He outscored Germany 11-6 by himself within the remaining 3:57.
And now, Paris awaits. The video games begin for actual this weekend.
“We’ve had each expertise,” Curry mentioned. “Now it’s clearly a matter of exhibiting up when the lights are brilliant subsequent week. I feel we’re prepared. I feel we’re ready. Now we have now to carry out.”
3-point troubles
For the second consecutive recreation, the U.S. obtained outscored by 21 factors from 3-point vary. And it almost burned the Individuals once more.
Germany was 13 for 45 from past the arc, the U.S. was 6 for 17, and that’s a 39-18 distinction in factors from deep.
South Sudan outscored the U.S. 42-21 from deep on Saturday.
Additionally not serving to the U.S. trigger on Monday: it had 14 turnovers to Germany’s seven.
“I don’t suppose we’ve performed our greatest offensive recreation but,” Curry mentioned.
Wanting again
Theis had 26 factors, whereas Schroder and Obst had 24 apiece in Germany’s 113-111 win over the U.S. within the World Cup at Manila a 12 months in the past.
That trio was incredible once more Monday, combining for 40 factors.
It ought to be famous that the loss to Germany final 12 months was about when some gamers — James, for instance — began severely fascinated with becoming a member of the U.S. program for this run to the Paris Video games.
No Durant
Kevin Durant obtained some pregame photographs up once more, simply as he did Saturday in London. And, once more, that was the extent of his game-night motion.
The three-time gold medalist didn’t play whereas he continues to get better from the calf pressure he suffered just a few days earlier than the U.S. convened for coaching camp in Las Vegas.
Durant missed all 5 pre-Olympic video games exhibitions, although he did follow this previous weekend. He has not appeared in an actual recreation since late April, when Phoenix was swept in a first-round NBA playoff collection by Minnesota.
Initially Revealed: July 22, 2024 at 5:09 p.m.