LeBron James dominates the final minutes of play for Team USA, overcoming a 16-point deficit to defeat South Sudan.
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• USA vs. South Sudan: Game Summary
LONDON – This match-up had the potential to be one of the most shocking upsets in the history of international basketball.
The most significant one that comes to mind is a young, developing nation like South Sudan, which has made it this far and is set to compete against the formidable Team USA in a pre-Olympic warm-up game.
This team was built from the ground up and has been training for the Games outside of its homeland — since there are no indoor courts in South Sudan — forcing LeBron James to switch into championship mode on Saturday for the exhibition match.
What unfolded at O2 Arena was a convergence of two opposing forces. South Sudan played with unbridled passion; the team, which is only a few years old, made its Olympic debut, and is comprised of refugees from Sudan. Meanwhile, the favored team, which was expected to triumph by a 43-point margin, according to coach Steve Kerr, “let our defenses down as a team and a staff.”
Ultimately, USA secured a narrow victory, 101-100, with the game mainly controlled by South Sudan, before LeBron took over, scoring the winning shot with eight seconds left and the game’s outcome hanging in the balance until the final buzzer following a pair of missed shots by South Sudan.
LeBron James scored a game-high 25 points, including the winning basket for Team USA in an intense match against South Sudan.
It is worth noting that, since this was an exhibition match, it did not officially count. However, try explaining that to everyone involved, as the game took a serious turn in the second half and brought out the best on both benches, making it seem like it truly mattered.
“What a wild game,” Stephen Curry said. “They played with incredible intensity. It was great to see how we responded. LeBron stepped up and finished strong down the stretch.”
South Sudan made several shots — both easy and challenging ones — to establish a 16-point lead in the second quarter. The USA struggled with three-pointers, missing 12 of its first 13 shots from range. That was when the Americans were faced with a decision in the second half: Would they play to win, even in an exhibition match? The choice was straightforward.
Kerr opted to use the second unit, which is stronger defensively, to start the third quarter. Anthony Davis’ defensive presence and interior protection changed the game’s momentum. The deficit started to narrow. Over on the bench, LeBron stirred, rose from his seat, and did a few stretching exercises in an open space off the floor.
“Look,” Kerr said. “The entire team was embarrassed at halftime. He was not pleased with me for not starting him in the third quarter. I glanced down the bench and could see him eager to get back on the court.”
Once the starters were re-inserted, a sense of normalcy was restored. Jrue Holiday saved a steal from bouncing out of bounds and passed to LeBron for a dunk. Devin Booker tied the game with a 3-pointer with 58 seconds left in the third quarter, then Curry gave USA the lead with a 3-pointer.
However, South Sudan refused to back down; if anything, the determined team stuck close in the fourth quarter and took a one-point lead on JT Thor’s shot over LeBron with 20 seconds left.
There was a hush at the O2 Arena, and a timeout was called by the USA. Both were completely unexpected, whether it was an exhibition match or not. Where did this come from? How did this happen?
Regarding South Sudan’s remarkable story: The country gained independence from Sudan in 2011. The following year, Sudan’s most accomplished player, Luol Deng, who fled the civil war-torn country when he was 5 and spent much of his NBA career with the Bulls, played for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics because South Sudan did not have a team.
When a movement began in South Sudan to build a basketball infrastructure, Deng took on the challenge and became its executive director. The team initially had no funds, so Deng bankrolled it, buying equipment and covering travel expenses.
And it had no players; Deng had to round up a roster, encouraging players with dual residency in other countries to return to their homeland and become trailblazers.
“When you think about what that team has had to overcome to qualify for the Olympics, I’m truly happy for Luol,” Kerr said. “They’ve put together a good team in the face of adversity.”
South Sudan defeated 11-time African champion Angola in last year’s World Cup to qualify for these Olympics, becoming the lowest-ranked team to do so since 2004. It was a remarkable rise from obscurity for a team with only two back-of-the-rotation NBA players, Thor and Wenyen Gabriel.
Following LeBron went isolation and dropped a driving layup with nine seconds left for a one-point USA lead, South Sudan had the chance to shake up international basketball with one last possession. The sellout crowd at the O2, which earlier chanted “U-S-A”, began shifting its allegiance to the giant underdog, if only to witness a historic moment.
The recent matchup between Team USA and South Sudan was nothing short of electrifying. Despite being a pre-Olympic warm-up exhibition game that didn’t officially count, both teams gave it their all, and the outcome was left hanging in the balance until the very end.
What’s most remarkable about this story is South Sudan, a young, developing nation with a basketball team only a few years old, which comprises refugees from Sudan and has been training for the Games outside of their homeland. The passion and determination displayed by this team were truly admirable, and they managed to secure a 16-point lead in the second quarter.
According to the USA vs. South Sudan game summary [[3]], South Sudan put up an impressive 46.75% field goal percentage, while the United States had a 47.50% field goal percentage. However, these numbers don’t do justice to the incredible turnaround orchestrated by LeBron James in the final minutes of the game.
The game took a serious turn in the second half when the Americans found themselves struggling with three-pointers and the decision had to be made: to play to win or hold back? The choice was clear. Coach Steve Kerr opted for the second unit to start the third quarter, which proved to be the right decision as the deficit began to narrow.
Stephen Curry praised South Sudan’s intensity and the manner in which the US responded. “What a wild game,” Curry said. “They played with incredible intensity. It was great to see how we responded. LeBron stepped up and finished strong down the stretch.”
One can’t understate the influence LeBron James had in the final minutes. With South Sudan ahead, James came up clutch, securing a narrow 101-100 victory for the US with a game-winning shot in the final eight seconds.
By almost upsetting the heavy favorites, South Sudan stole the show with their incredible show of force, and their performance is sure to send ripples throughout the basketball community. Here’s the final 8 seconds of that thrilling encounter in case you missed it [[1]].
