Steph Curry described Team USA’s mindset going into Wednesday’s game against South Sudan as having “appropriate fear.” Fully locked in, Team USA sent even more fear to the rest of the world in their 103-86 win at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.
When these two teams last faced each other 11 days ago, the game was decided by one point and one missed shot. Aside from being down by one point midway through the first quarter and a stronger second half, Team USA didn’t have to sweat too much for their second straight win.
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The win improved Team USA’s record at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics to 2-0 in Group C play. The United States has outscored its first two opponents by 43 points. They now have clinched their spot in the quarterfinals,
Team USA used a balanced offensive attack and put a stranglehold on South Sudan by applying pressure defensively. They totaled 13 steals and six blocks, swallowing South Sudan’s offense early to earn a 19-point lead at halftime. Bam Adebayo’s 18 points off the bench led all Team USA players, and six players scored in double figures.
Curry wasn’t one of them, struggling with his shot and scoring only three points in 21-plus minutes.
Here are three takeaways from Team USA’s decisive win against South Sudan.
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New Starting Five
Jrue Holiday and Joel Embiid went out, and in came Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid. Outside noise grew to a hysterical level after Team USA’s 26-point win against Serbia that Kerr couldn’t find any minutes for the Boston Celtics star. People have been calling Kerr to put Davis in for Embiid the moment after their first exhibition.
The change looked genius early on, too. Team USA ran out to a 6-0 lead before South Sudan came out of a timeout and made a 7-0 run of their own. But when Kerr first called upon his bench it was all tied up 10-10. Only Steph Curry stayed in the game as Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo and Jrue Holiday all entered the game for the first time.
Booker and Tatum both were held scoreless in the first half. The only reason Curry was on the scoreboard was because of making a free throw off a technical foul.
Tatum overall was a minus-4 overall, scoring four points along with five rebounds and two assists. Dealing with a rolled ankle he sustained in the second quarter, Davis played 19 minutes and was a minus-5. The Los Angeles Lakers star had eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Steph’s Still Searching
A major goal of Kerr’s going into Wednesday’s game was getting Curry rolling offensively. In the second game of the Warriors superstar’s first Olympics, Curry never found his rhythm. As in, never ever.
Curry didn’t make a field goal until converting a layup with seven minutes remaining in the game. At that point, he hadn’t converted on his first seven tries. Curry was 0-of-4 from beyond the arc in the first half, and 0 of 6 on threes overall. He even had a 3-point attempt in the fourth quarter blocked and then was called for a shooting foul on the other end.
And that’s how Curry’s day came to an end. Curry took nine shots and converted only once, which wasn’t an outside shot. In every game Curry played last season, he made at least two shots, though, his record of consecutive games played making a 3-pointer did come to an end.
Curry will have more chances, but this was a tough showing for him in a blowout win.
Bam Over Embiid
Another win, another talking point about playing time. That’s the reality Kerr likely faces now despite Team USA remaining undefeated on the summer circuit.
Embiid wasn’t just out of the starting lineup, he didn’t play at all in a 17-point win. Meanwhile, Adebayo was the star of the day. The five-time All-Defensive player always makes a major impact on that side. It was his offense that also shined this time.
Adebayo was a perfect 6 of 6 going into halftime and made both of his 3-point tries. As Team USA’s leading scorer, Adebayo was 8-of-10 shooting overall but did airball his lone three in the second half. He was a plus-22, second to only Kevin Durant’s plus-26. Adebayo turning into a scoring threat is a treat for Team USA and the Miami Heat alike.
Tyrese Haliburton made his Olympic debut in the first quarter, leaving Embiid as the only player who stayed in warmup gear for all four quarters.
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