The USA men’s basketball team secured their spot in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics with a commanding 103-86 win over South Sudan on Wednesday. This victory marks their second consecutive win in the group stage.
Head coach Steve Kerr made a strategic move by not playing Joel Embiid, who struggled to contribute in their 110-84 win over Serbia on July 28. Anthony Davis stepped into the starting lineup in Embiid’s place. However, Davis and fellow starters Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Jayson Tatum finished the game with negative ratings.
The turning point came from the bench unit. Bam Adebayo, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Edwards came off the bench and delivered stellar performances, contributing positive ratings. The American reserves outscored their South Sudanese counterparts by an impressive 66-14 margin, with Adebayo leading the team with 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field.
“I just think Steve trusts us,” Adebayo said after the game. “I feel like he looks at the benches, that spark, to come off the bench and really give us a boost, and we did that tonight.”
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Bench unit helps USA defeat South Sudan in Olympic men's basketball
cgtn.com
