- US basketball player after power play in final
USA's Top Favorite Narrowly Escapes Disaster in Olympic Basketball Semifinals
USA's top team had to dig deep to secure a spot in the Olympic basketball final, narrowly defeating co-world champion Serbia 95:91 (43:54) in a thrilling encounter at the Bercy Arena in Paris. Led by NBA stars LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, the Americans managed to overcome a 13-point deficit in the final quarter.
In the gold medal match, the winner of the past four Summer Games will face off against France on Saturday (21:30 CET). The hosts had earlier dashed Germany's gold dreams, defeating the reigning world champions 73:69. Germany will play Serbia for the bronze medal at 11:00 CET, with former German national coach Svetislav Pesic at the helm for the Serbs.
Curry's Spectacular Show
The second semifinal in the Bercy Arena kicked off with a spectacular Stephen Curry show. The Warriors star scored 14 of the first 15 points for the Americans, sinking four three-pointers in the process. Curry's fourth three-pointer saw him already celebrating with a glance towards the US bench before the ball had even hit the net. In the end, he was the top scorer with 36 points.
However, the Serbs remained unfazed by Curry's performance. Instead, they showed no respect for the NBA stars and built a 17-point lead at one point. At halftime, the Serbs still held an 11-point advantage (54:43).
Stars Take Over
In the third quarter, it seemed as though the Americans had finally realized the gravity of the situation and started to step up their game. Coach Steve Kerr's team narrowed the gap to seven points (59:66), and the arena buzzed with anticipation of a comeback. But the Serbs were not about to roll over. Going into the final quarter, they had suddenly extended their lead to 13 points (76:63).
But then the stars took over. James tied the game at 84:84, and Curry put the USA back in front for the first time since the early stages of the game (87:86). Serbia fought back but narrowly missed out on the upset.
After his initial burst of scoring, placing 14 points on the board, including four three-pointers, Stephen Curry continued his stellar performance, finishing as the top scorer with 36 points. Despite Curry's impressive display, Serbia maintained their composure and built a substantial lead, challenging the USA's favorite status.
