USA rallies to beat Serbia and reach Olympic men’s basketball final

USA Basketball’s LeBron James celebrates at the end of the men’s semifinal basketball match between USA and Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 8, 2024. | Photo by Aris MESSINIS / AFP

Paris, France–The United States (USA) erased a 17-point deficit to beat Nikola Jokic’s Serbia 95-91 on Thursday, August 8, 2024,  and reach the Olympic men’s basketball final, keeping their bid for a fifth straight gold medal alive.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry dazzled with 36 points and all-time NBA scoring leader LeBron James had a triple-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the USA Basketball team competing in this Olympics. The USA will meet hosts France in a repeat of the Tokyo Olympics final.

France booked a return trip to the title game with a 73-69 victory over reigning World Cup champions Germany.

It took a massive fourth-quarter effort for the USA to finally subdue the Serbs, who led most of the night and took a 76-63 advantage into the fourth quarter.

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Kevin Durant and Devin Booker drilled back-to-back three-pointers to start the fight-back.

Joel Embiid pulled the States within four with a three-point play and James tied it up at 84-84 with 3:41 to play.

Curry rattled in a three-pointer with 2:24 remaining to give the United States their first lead since the first quarter 87-86.

James followed with a driving layup, Curry grabbed a steal and drove for a basket that pushed the US lead to five and the Americans held on.

Serbia’s #15 Nikola Jokic goes to the basket past USA’s #06 LeBron James in the men’s semifinal basketball match between USA and Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 8, 2024. | Photo by Aris MESSINIS / AFP

“We know we weren’t playing our best basketball at all the whole game, but we were like two or three possessions away or one bad bounce away from flipping the momentum,” Curry said.

“We could feel it. There was a point end of the third quarter where you started to feel a little like … are they going to slow down at all?

“That first four minutes of the fourth quarter changed everything.”

Embiid scored 19 points and Durant woke up just in time after a sleepy first half to add nine and the US maintained their chance to claim a 17th Olympic crown.

Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic finished with 17 points and 11 assists for Serbia, who got 20 points from a brilliant Bogdan Bogdanovic.

Curry got off to a scorching start, drilling five three-pointers on the way to 17 first-quarter points.

But Serbia combined for five three-pointers themselves and led 31-23 after a frenetic first quarter in which only four players scored for the United States.

USA’s LeBron James goes to the basket in the men’s semifinal basketball match between USA and Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 8, 2024. | Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP

Serbia continued to pour it on, pushing their lead to 42-25 with more than six minutes left in the second period.

Struggling offensively, the United States were also unable to slow the Serbian offense keyed by Jokic.

Aleksa Avramovic was a deadly four-of-six from three-point range on the way to 15 first-half points and Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Bogdanovic had 12 before the break.

Curry had 20 points in the first half but subdued Phoenix Suns star Durant missed his only attempt.

Suddenly the USA Basketball team, whose romp through the group stage included a 110-84 victory over Serbia, looked in serious trouble for the first time at the Paris Olympics.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Curry and Jrue Holiday cut the deficit to 59-65 but try as they might the US couldn’t reel Serbia in.

Marko Guduric converted a four-point play when he was fouled by Derrick White on a bomb from well beyond the arc to propel Serbia into the fourth quarter in the ascent.