South Sudan wanted it more on Saturday, and it almost got it.
Team USA defeated South Sudan, 101-100, but the 42.5-point favorites nearly were embarrassed in the two nation’s inaugural exhibition meeting at O2 Arena in London.
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The South Sudanese quickly trailed 10-2 after an effortless, routine Team USA first-quarter start. But as the first half continued, so did the underdog’s fight, and the Americans found themselves down two points after one frame and a stunning 14 after two.
Superstars Steph Curry and LeBron James, alongside fellow double-digit scorers Joel Embiid (14), Anthony Davis (15) and Anthony Edwards (11), helped their country overcome what nearly became a 20-point deficit-turned-defeat, but to the surprise of many -- especially seasoned Warriors fans -- coach Steve Kerr arguably was the American of the game after showcasing a tactical, beneficial line change.
South Sudan wasn’t supposed to be in this game at all, but they made it more than interesting into the dying seconds. Here are three takeaways from Team USA’s narrow win over South Sudan:
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King. James.
The 39-year-old great earned Team USA a non-deserved win by sinking a game-winning layup with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
James’ aggressiveness toward the rim and on the break helped his nation prevail.
He finished the contest with a team-high 23 points, shooting 9 of 13 from the field and 2-for-3 from deep. He looked the most comfortable of his teammates in a game where Team USA glaringly lacked rhythm and focus.
The iconic Team USA, decorated with future Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame selections, collectively didn’t show up for this exhibition game, leaving their elder to handle business on their behalf.
South Sudan’s Unreal Start
Team USA entered halftime trailing South Sudan, 58-44.
The South Sudanese limited Curry and his jack-of-all-trades teammates to 1-for-12 shooting from 3-point range in the game’s first 24 minutes. Meanwhile, South Sudan shot 7-for-14 from deep and 15 of 22 on two-pointers.
Embiid and James struggled to control the ball, combining for seven of the Americans’ 10 first-half turnovers. In half the time, South Sudan forced Team USA to almost tie their full-game total of 12 from their Wednesday win against Nikola Jokić and Serbia.
South Sudan’s Marial Shayok and Carlik Jones kept their superstar rivals on their toes and combined to score 39 points on 16-of-37 shooting. Duke commit Khaman Maluach shined, too, finishing with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting, but his confidence against the USA’s best was most noteworthy. Maluach, alongside Cooper Flagg, will be a daunting Blue Devils duo.
Of course, JT Thor’s clutch go-ahead 3-pointer with under 20 seconds remaining in the fourth left many believing South Sudan might have done it.
But James had other ideas, and South Sudan’s Cinderella performance resulted in a loss.
Steph And Kerr Cooked
The Golden State Warriors’ player-coach duo played a monumental role in helping Team USA avoid a disgraceful collapse.
Curry, who had just three points in the first half, heated up in the game’s latter 15 minutes, finishing the game with 12 points on 3-of-9 shooting from three -- the Americans will take it.
He also gave Team USA the lead -- and first since the first quarter -- in the final minute of the third with a deep, deep trey-ball. While South Sudan ultimately lost by only one point, Curry’s shot capped off an American resurgence and a 37-point third frame.
Coach Kerr put his stamp on Team USA’s win by starting the second half essentially with a reserve lineup.
Rolling out backup stars such as Davis and Edwards -- or the “Anthonys” -- while placing Curry and James on the bench helped the Americans erase the South Sudanese unbelievable lead.
Kerr’s gusty decisions worked.
It is difficult to manage the talents, necessities and egos of a roster filled with the best America can offer basketball-wise, but Kerr did it well Saturday after a rough start.
The longtime Warriors coach deserves his flowers for benching his uninspired starters on the world stage.
Hopefully, Kerr can build on this performance and continue to figure out the best fits and rotations ahead of Team USA’s Group C play during the 2024 Summer Paris Olympics.
Team USA and South Sudan will meet again, this time for real, on July 31 in Lille, France.