The United States basketball team managed to achieve a dramatic victory over South Sudan in a match ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Playing at the O2 Arena in London, England, Sunday (21/7/2024) WIB, Lebron James et al won narrowly 101-100.
Lebron became the hero of the US team’s victory in this match by scoring a crucial layup with 8 seconds left in the match, which made the US turn the score around after previously being behind 99-100.
Although the South Sudanese team had a chance to respond, Carlik Jones’ shot with 4 seconds left in the game missed, allowing the US to escape defeat.
South Sudan made a big surprise in this match. The team that just qualified for the Olympics for the first time was able to lead over the US for most of the match. At the end of the first half, they were ahead by 14 points, 58-44 over Lebron James and friends.
However, Lebron’s composure as a captain and senior player allowed the US to catch up and even turn the score around at the end of the third quarter with a score of 81-76.
In the fourth quarter, South Sudan refused to give up. Despite continuing to lag behind until the final seconds of the match, they were finally able to regain the lead through JT Thor’s three-pointer, 100-99, in the final 20 seconds of the match.
Also read: 15 Athletes Selected for 2024 Basketball Men’s Select Team for Paris Olympics
However, the US eventually escaped defeat thanks to Lebron’s calm performance, who was able to score important points at the end of the match.
“I’ll be honest. I’d rather have something like this than a big win. At least we were tested,” LeBron said after the game.
Lebron was the top scorer for Team USA with 25 points, followed by his LA Lakers teammate Anthony Davis with 14 points. Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry added 10 points.
Also read: Davis and James lead Lakers to win first NBA Cup this season
In the South Sudan camp, Marial Shayok was the top scorer with 24 points, followed by Carlik Jones with 15 points.
“A good reminder that when we play these teams, it’s the biggest game of their lives,” said U.S. coach Steve Kerr.
With this victory, the United States basketball team continues to show their dominance in the Olympics. Next, they will face another strong European team, Germany, in a friendly match before appearing in the Olympics. (Z-3)
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