PARIS (A.P.)— All favored teams in the first three men’s basketball quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics struggled. Canada fell against France. Serbia overcame a 24-point deficit to overcome Australia. Germany had to overcome a double-digit deficit before defeating Greece.
So, coming into the fourth and final game of the night, the United States knew exactly what to do.
“We wanted to come out and ensure we were the aggressor,” said United States coach Steve Kerr.
They made it appear simple, too. Devin Booker led a balanced front with 18 points, and the Americans easily defeated Brazil in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, 122-87.
The United States (4-0) advances to the semifinals on Thursday, where it will meet Serbia (3-1), while Germany (4-0) will face France. The winners of those games will play for the gold medal on Saturday night, while the losers from Thursday will play for the bronze medal on Saturday morning.
“Everybody expects us to win,” U.S. forward Jayson Tatum stated. “But you don’t take anything for granted, right? Canada suffered an earlier defeat. This is a distinct game. It’s not like the playoffs, which are a series. We only have one game, and a lot of different things can happen in one game, especially over here.”
If there was one concern, it was this: LeBron James left in the third quarter after collecting an elbow around his left eye from Brazil’s Georginho de Paula while going for a rebound. James slid down, put a cloth over his eye, and headed into the locker room late in the third.
Kerr claimed James required four sutures.
“I’m fine,” James said. “Got hit with an inadvertent elbow around the eye.”
Anthony Edwards scored 17 points, while Joel Embiid, who was booed again in France, had 14 points and 7 assists in 12 first-half minutes for the Americans. Anthony Davis finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for the United States. James recorded 12 points and nine assists.
Kevin Durant scored 11 points, passing Lisa Leslie for the men’s and women’s Olympic lifetime scoring lead in the United States. Leslie scored 488 points in her four Olympic outings, concluding with gold medals. Durant is also attempting to go 4 for 4 in gold medals; he is two wins away from accomplishing this.
“He is great. “He was born to play ball, and he’s simply incredible,” James stated. “I am thrilled for him. Congratulations to him. I’m so proud of him. And he has more to go.”
There was a time when Brazil could have believed it had a chance. It trailed the United States by eight points midway through the second quarter, but a large deficit has become more bearable.
The moment did not last long.
A 21-2 surge in the final 3:56 of the half turned things into the expected blowout. It eliminated any question — because there wasn’t much, if any — and the United States expanded its eight-point lead into a 63-36 edge entering the final 20 minutes.
Bruno Caboclo Was Brazil’s Star, Leading All Scorers With 30 Points.
Playing in Paris for the first time during these Games, the crowd was smaller — the arena used for the three group stage games is nearly twice as large as the one used for the knockout stage — but given the stakes, the turnout appeared to be more star-studded.
Carmelo Anthony, a retired U.S. Olympic basketball player, and his son, Kiyan, were seated near Pau Gasol in VIP seats near the floor. A’ja Wilson, the U.S. women’s basketball standout, sat next to Snoop Dogg, who has become the unofficial ambassador of all things Team USA at the Olympics.
They came for the performance, and they received one. James led the end-of-half charge, which was essentially the game.
“Bron, you’re just out there throwing dimes,” UConn women’s standout Paige Bueckers said on X, the medium that was once known as Twitter, and she wasn’t wrong. He shot 4 for 4 from the field and 2 for 2 from the free-throw line in the half, finishing with 10 points and eight assists.
James stepped back to the bench with roughly three minutes left in the game after being treated for the shot to the face.
The audience in Paris erupted in applause.
Perhaps it was because James was unharmed. It could have been because French Olympic swimming champion Leon Marchand, who won four gold medals in the Paris Games, was also visible on the scoreboard at the time.
In any case, there was plenty to be happy about.
In conclusion, the victory over Brazil demonstrated the United States’ extraordinary talent and preparation. With their sights set on the ultimate prize, the team is gearing up for an exciting tournament finale.
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Read More: USA Basketball Highlights: American Men Crush Brazil To Reach The Olympic Semifinals.
