On Tuesday, the United States men’s basketball team easily defeated Brazil in the 2024 Paris Olympics quarterfinals. The Americans beat Brazil, 122-87, to move to the semi-finals, where they will face Serbia on Thursday. Every Squad USA player scored in the 35-point triumph to begin the knockout stage, with Devin Booker leading the team with 18 points.
LeBron James scored 12 points and was one assist shy of a triple-double with nine assists. Eight occurred in the first half, including this out-of-bounds alley-oop to Jayson Tatum.
Joel Embiid made all three of his 3-pointers and finished with 14 points and 7 boards. The Americans shot 57.7% from the field and made 15 three-pointers. Brazil’s Bruno Caboclo led the game with 30 points, but the Americans went on a 15-0 run before halftime to seal the victory.
Kevin Durant, meanwhile, created history. The Sun’s superstar concluded with 11 points, surpassing Lisa Leslie as the highest-scoring player in Team USA basketball history at the Olympics (men’s or women’s). Leslie previously had the record at 488 points.
Team USA has never lost in the Olympics’ quarterfinal phase, and the team is currently two wins away from claiming its sixth consecutive gold medal. Germany and France complete the final four in the men’s basketball tournament at the Paris Games.
Here are three lessons from Team USA’s overwhelming victory.
Joel Embiid Finally Gets Going!
Embiid and Stephen Curry were the most disappointing American players in the group stage. Embiid had only four points and appeared completely out of sync in the opener against Serbia. He didn’t play against South Sudan. He did score 15 points on 14 shots in a meaningless game against Puerto Rico. Still, his performance against Brazil provided the first authentic taste of what the Americans believed he would contribute to the team.
Embiid led the United States with 14 first-half points and seven rebounds, and he appeared more agile in certain defensive skirmishes. He got going early with 3-pointers (he made three in total). The Americans are playing minor offense through Embiid, which is understandable given their emphasis on transition scoring, an array of weapons, and desire to maintain half-court flow, so it’s critical that he, like Curry, capitalize on the scoring opportunities he does receive.
Defense And Efficiency
Every time the Americans have been tested in this tournament, they have responded by tightening up on defense and getting out in transition to expand their lead. They did it again against Brazil, which briefly cut the gap to eight points during a 13-2 late-second-quarter rally. The United States then finished the half with a 15-0 spurt to go into the locker room up 27.
In addition to defense, the United States scored efficiently, with 58-48-89 shooting splits in the win over Brazil. They shot 62%, including 56% from three, in their first group-stage win over Serbia and then went 53% from the floor and 43% from three against South Sudan. Stephen Curry went 1 for 9 and combined with LeBron James to miss nine three-point shots. Everyone else created almost everything.
The Americans shot less than 50% against Puerto Rico, with 28% from three. That’s the type of game someone in the United States would need to catch the Americans on the perfect night to pull off an upset. Of course, they still scored 104 points against Puerto Rico, but their opponents from now on are considerably better and may likely terrify the United States if they have an off night. But if they don’t, and they continue to defend and shoot as efficiently as they have up to this point, good luck.
Durant Becomes The Leading USA Basketball Olympic Scorer.
Durant, attempting to become the first American men’s basketball player to win four gold medals, surpassed Lisa Leslie as the all-time leading U.S. scorer in Olympic competition with a bucket at 3:06 in the third quarter.
Durant, who started the Olympics strong with 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting against Serbia after missing the whole exhibition season due to a calf ailment, concluded with 11 points against Brazil and now has 494 lifetime Olympic points heading into the semi-finals versus Serbia.
In conclusion, Team USA’s blowout victory in the semi-finals, in which every player scored, was a magnificent show of basketball skill. The victory demonstrates the team’s strength, depth, and group spirit, positioning them for a successful run at the Paris Olympics. As the semi-finals approached, Team USA’s outstanding performance raised expectations and increased anticipation for what promises to be an exciting event continuation.
Thank you for visiting here…..
Read More: Amit Elor Becomes The Youngest Team USA Wrestler To Win Olympic Gold.
