Team USA will face France for the gold medal in Paris on Saturday, after both teams managed to pull off impressive comeback wins in the Olympic semifinals on Thursday. France was down double-digits to Germany in a defensive struggle before finding just enough offense down the stretch to pull out a win, while Team USA trailed by 13 going into the fourth quarter against Serbia, but followed their veteran stars down the stretch to a thrilling comeback win.
Stephen Curry led the way with 36 points, as he broke out of his Paris slump in a big way, burying nine threes against Serbia, at times carrying the American offense by himself. He did get some help, especially in the fourth quarter as Joel Embiid had his best game with 19 points, LeBron James put up a triple-double and had some clutch buckets, and Kevin Durant helped put the game on ice with his pullup jumper off a crossover to push the lead out to four with 30 seconds to play.
It was a truly incredible performance, as Serbia played a fantastic game themselves to push Team USA to the brink, and after the game the emotions poured out of the American stars. LeBron, Steph, and KD shared a moment on the baseline, while Joel Embiid did crotch chops to “Freed From Desire”, as Team USA showed how much this Olympic run means to them. After the game, Durant got asked about playing for Team USA and his general feelings on patriotism, and succinctly summed up his thoughts in a way that connects with an awful lot of Americans.
Kevin Durant, on patriotism, and playing for Team USA:
“A lot of bullshit happens in our country. But a lot of great things happen, too.” pic.twitter.com/QxZv1eYKG1
— Mike Finger (@mikefinger) August 8, 2024
I honestly don’t know if there’s a better way to distill how a lot of Americans feel, especially around the Olympics. There are plenty of flaws with our country and problems that need to be solved and addressed, but it’s also a pretty incredible place with a lot of pretty incredible people. The Olympics give us a chance to celebrate that part of America, highlighting the incredible talent produced across the country, and for the athletes playing, it’s a chance to represent themselves and their communities on a grand stage.