Team USA cruised to a 122-87 win against Brazil on Tuesday in the men’s basketball quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics at Bercy Arena in Paris.
Brazil dropped their deficit to single digits in the second quarter thanks to a 10-0 run, but Team USA’s defense then locked in, using a 15-0 run of their own to close the half with a 27-point lead.
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Through three quarters, Team USA had already scored 94 points. The talent discrepancy was clear, and Team USA’s offense was far too much to handle. Again, a monster Steph Curry game wasn’t the answer for the Americans.
Curry scored only seven points and spent the majority of the second half enjoying the view from the sidelines. Devin Booker, 18 points, was Team USA’s leading scorer, giving them four straight different top scorers in their four games at the Olympics. Six United States players scored 10 or more points, compared to only two for Brazil.
Kevin Durant continued making his case as the greatest basketball player in Olympics history, passing Lisa Leslie for the most career points by a Team USA member, men’s or women’s, of all time. Durant scored 11 points off the bench.
Golden State Warriors
They weren’t challenged, but Team USA couldn’t have played better to reach the semifinals.
Team USA now will play Serbia on at noon PT on Thursday. The winner will play France or Germany in the championship.
Here are three takeaways from Team USA’s 35-point win.
Seven-Point Steph
Another blowout Team USA win, another day where a flurry from Curry wasn’t needed.
Quietly, Curry was perfect in the first half, scoring seven points on 2-of-2 shooting. He was fouled on his only 3-point attempt and made all three of his free throws. Curry’s two makes in the first half were both layups in the first quarter. His only shot in the second quarter was that 3-point attempt Curry was fouled on.
Curry took one shot in the third quarter, missing a 3-pointer a little more than halfway through the period. Resting and relaxing, Curry then watched the entire fourth quarter on the bench. That left him with seven points on 2-of-3 shooting, missing his lone three. Curry played 16-plus minutes and was a plus-18.
Team USA didn’t need Curry to be their leading scorer in group play or the quarterfinals. Now it’s a medal, particularly gold, is in play. A Steph Show can happen at any moment, especially with the stakes ratcheting up.
Gui Santos’ Game
The first points of Tuesday’s knockout game weren’t by Curry or any of Team USA’s superstars, but instead a young Warriors teammate of Curry’s. Gui Santos made his presence immediately felt on both sides, grabbing a steal off a Joel Embiid turnover and converting an easy layup. But he stagnated shortly after.
Santos missed his two shot attempts in the first half, and aside from that opening layup he didn’t score again until hitting a three in the first minute of the second half. The Warriors forward had two points, two rebounds and two steals in the first half, but also two fouls and was minus-13 through two quarters.
In the second half, he scored just another five points, giving Santos seven total on 3-of-8 shooting. Santos, 22, also had five rebounds, two assists and two steals, but a team-high four fouls. He was minus-18 in 20 minutes.
The Warriors’ two players each scored seven points apiece.
What’s Next?
A third game this summer against Denver Nuggets three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and his Serbian teammates awaits Team USA on Thursday.
Team USA has beaten Serbia by 26 points in each of their first two contests, first in their slate of five exhibition games and then to open Group C play in the Olympics. However, it was clear in their last game what an impact Jokic makes.
Serbia was minus-26 in the nine-plus minutes Jokic didn’t play last time against the Americans. Remember, Serbia lost by exactly 26 points. To reach the semifinals in a five-point win over Australia on Tuesday, Jokic put up a typical stat line of 21 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. He’s going to get his, and Team USA coach Steve Kerr knows it.
Stopping Serbia is about containing those around Jokic. Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 17 points to go with five rebounds and six assists in a thrilling comeback win against Australia in overtime Tuesday, and six Serbians scored in double figures. They also forced Australia to commit 20 turnovers, something Team USA will have to take notice of.
Team USA should be on their way to the gold medal game against either France or Germany. The Joker will make sure the semifinals make them sweat for it.