Scoring 25 points in 23 minutes, including a game-winner in the final seconds, LeBron James led Team USA to a thrilling escape against South Sudan with a narrow victory.
After a first half filled with turnovers and poor shooting, Team USA made a strong comeback in the third quarter, culminating in LeBron James’ game-winning layup.
LeBron’s 23rd point helped the USA basketball team secure a dramatic 101-100 victory over South Sudan in a pre-Olympic 2024 exhibition game.
Watch LeBron James’ game-winner that saved Team USA against South Sudan in a dramatic fashion.
This scoring play showcased LeBron James’ leadership and his role as the captain of Team USA. Before the game-winning layup, James was instrumental in a 25-3 run that erased the deficit South Sudan had valiantly built in the first half.
With support from Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis, Team USA avoided what could have been one of the most embarrassing defeats in history.
“We may have won, but I hope people don’t forget that South Sudan played an incredible game,” LeBron James said after the match.
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“They have a lot of NBA talent and played extremely cohesively. That’s why this game was intense until the final seconds and not a blowout as many expected.”
Team USA narrowly beats South Sudan by one point.
LeBron James led Team USA with 25 points (10-14 FG), 7 assists, and 6 rebounds.
His Lakers teammate Anthony Davis scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, securing his third double-double in four games. Stephen Curry added 11 points with impressive three-pointers at the end of the third quarter. Joel Embiid and Anthony Edwards contributed 14 and 11 points, respectively.
For South Sudan, China-based player Marial Shayok led with 25 points (6-12 3PT shooting). Additionally, Carlik Jones delivered an impressive triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Jones was the NBA G-League MVP back in 2003.
Team USA remains unbeaten in the pre-Olympic 2024 exhibition games, but this victory brought many important lessons for LeBron, Stephen Curry, and their teammates. As LeBron James noted, South Sudan played an excellent game. They led Team USA by as much as 16 points in the second quarter before the teams went into halftime with a 14-point gap.
Despite the win and maintaining their unbeaten streak in the four exhibition games, Stephen Curry stated that this game was an important lesson for Team USA.
“We could have been beaten if we didn’t play the right way. And the right way here means defense. When our shooters were off, we didn’t challenge the opponent and allowed them to take advantage and lead,” Curry shared.
Highlights of Stephen Curry in Team USA’s 101-100 victory over South Sudan.
“But this game also showed that if we play focused and determined, the team can find special versions of itself to win. This is a strong team, and we are continuously learning to improve.”
After this game, Team USA has one more exhibition match against Germany in London (England) before heading to Paris to prepare for the Olympic 2024, which officially kicks off next weekend.
