Team USA Punches Their Ticket to the Olympic Knockout Stage With Win Over South Sudan (Sports)
July 31, 2024
Earlier this month, Team USA escaped with a one-point win over South Sudan in an exhibition game, and that was not the case earlier today with an Olympic matchup that counted.
Main difference in today’s game was the starting lineup change with removing Joel Embiid and Jrue Holiday for Anthony Davis and Jayson Tatum. This lineup was able to take control of the game early, and gave Team USA a comfortable lead that helped set a strong tempo for the rest of the game. Personally I still believe the best starting line up would include Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.
My takeaway was that it is going to be pretty tough for teams to beat Team USA especially with Steph Curry going 1 for 9 from the field (0 for 6 from 3) and LeBron James having more turnovers than field goals made. Team USA still won by 17 points with other players Bam Adebayo and Derrick White stepping up.
Team USA punched their ticket to the knockout rounds with the 103-86 win, and things are looking pretty good for the team. They play Puerto Rico in the final group game, and gear up for the knockout round next week.