After a gritty opening win against Serbia, the United States Men’s Basketball team returned to face South Sudan in their second pool play game.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The United States started the contest with a 6-0 lead before South Sudan went on a 10-2 run to take a 10-8 lead halfway through the opening quarter. LeBron James had a strong start for the US with six points on 3-3 shooting.
The US put their foot on the gas to close the first quarter, holding a 26-14 lead behind eight points from James and six from Kevin Durant. At the half, Bam Adebayo had 14 points to lead the Red, White, and Blue to a 55-36 lead over South Sudan. James had 10 and Durant finished the half with nine.
It was a slow start to the second quarter, but the US found their groove down the stretch to hold a 73-56 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Adebayo continued to lead the way for the US with 16 points and five rebounds.
With 6:20 left in the game, Anthony Davis finished off a massive jam off the feed of Durant to give the United States an 87-68 lead. The US had a field goal percentage of 51% through this matchup.
The US advances to the quarterfinals of the Olympics in a 103-86 win over South Sudan. Bam Adebayo finished with 18 points to lead the way.
BIG NUMBER: 28
The United States shared the wealth during the game, recording 28 assists on their way to their second win in Paris.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Bam Adebayo
Adebayo dropped 18 points on 8-10 shooting while adding seven rebounds and a pair of blocks.
UP NEXT: The US will take on Puerto Rico, led by Pelicans star Jose Alvarado and former LSU star Tremont Waters in the final game of the group stage. Tip off is set for 10:15 a.m. Saturday.