Joel Embiid knew that French supporters would be disappointed if he opted to play for the USA Basketball Men’s National Team over the host country at the Paris Olympics. When he touches the ball, the crowd erupts in jeers. But the boos appear to have energized the 2023 NBA MVP.
That was obvious Tuesday, when he had 14 points and seven rebounds, all in the first half, as the top-ranked United States defeated 12th-ranked Brazil 122-87 in the Olympic quarterfinals at Bercy Arena in Paris. Devin Booker continued his stellar performance with a team-best 18 points, becoming the fourth player to lead the United States in scoring in as many games of these Olympics.
“He came out ready to play,” American Anthony Davis said of Embiid. “The audience was booing him, so that adds to it. He welcomes it, and we embrace it for him. “He’s remained very aggressive.”
The United States (4-0) will meet fourth-ranked Serbia (3-1) in the semifinals on Thursday at 3 p.m. E.T., aiming for their sixth gold medal. Serbia rallied from a 24-point deficit in overtime to defeat fifth-ranked Australia 95-90. Nikola Jokic led the way with 21 points and 14 rebounds. It will replay the Group C opening in Lille, France, where the United States defeated Serbia 110-84.
Anthony Edwards had 17 points, Davis had 13 points and eight rebounds, LeBron James had 12 points, 9 assists,3 steals, and 3 rebounds, and Durant had 11 points and four rebounds for the United States, which is 13-0 in Olympic quarterfinal play and will compete for a medal.
The United States has medaled in all 19 prior Olympics, winning 16 gold, one silver, and two bronze.
Kevin Durant, the American men’s career-best scorer, also became the all-time leading scorer among U.S. Olympians, male or female, making history. Durant, a three-time gold medalist, broke four-time gold champion Lisa Leslie’s American women’s and overall record of 488 Olympic points. He did so in 26 games, whereas Leslie played 32.
“Records are meant to be broken, so somebody will come along and do the same,” said Durant, who only took two free throws in the first half. “Focused on trying to win this gold.”
It was the most Olympic points the United States had scored since defeating Argentina 126-97 in London in 2012. The Americans average 109.8 points per game and have won by 23.3 points. The United States also had 31 assists, up from 30 in their previous match against Puerto Rico, which finished 104-83.
“We understand what the main goal is, and the only main goal is for us to win gold; that’s all I care about,” James told reporters.
In the second quarterfinal, ninth-ranked France, boosted by the home crowd, led the whole game to defeat seventh-ranked Canada 82-73, while 2023 FIBA World Cup champion Germany recovered from 12 points behind to defeat 14th-placed Greece 76-63. In the other semifinal, France (3-1) will face third-ranked Germany (4-0). Canada, making their first Olympic appearance since 2000, finished 3-1, while Greece finished 1-3.
Following sluggish starts in each of its previous three games at the Paris Olympics, the United States faced the prospect of elimination. The starters, who had relied on the bench to get the United States going in previous games, quickly took charge.
After turning the ball over on the first U.S. possession, Embiid made a three-pointer on the next trip to put the Americans up 5-4 just 1 minute, 40 seconds into the game. While only scoring four points, James, the U.S. Olympic lifetime assists leader, handled the offense in the first quarter, dropping five assists as the starting surged to a 27-14 lead before Kerr switched. The United States led by as many as 16 and ended the first quarter 33-21.
“All three underdogs had big leads at the end of the first quarter, and we wanted to come out and make sure we were the aggressor,” according to Kerr. “The boys did a wonderful job and set a good tone.”
A 7-0 run to begin the second quarter gave the United States a 40-21 lead, but Brazil answered with a 10-0 run with 4:45 remaining in the half. That was Brazil’s severe final threat, as Curry was fouled on a 3-pointer and made three free throws, followed by Embiid’s third trey of the game. A James lob to Booker on an inbounds play finished a 15-0 run, giving the United States a 63-36 halftime lead.
The Americans shot 60% (23-of-39), including 6-of-12 3-pointers, and had an impressive 19 assists in the first half. Brazil, however, was limited to 34.2% (13-of-38) shooting, including 5-of-17 from distance.
Bruno Caboclo scored 30 points to lead Brazil, which finished 1-3 at the Olympics and is now 0-11 vs. the U.S. at the summer games.
The Americans will now face Serbia for the third time following the Olympic opening and an exhibition in the USA Basketball Showcase. The United States has won both decisively, but this one has been less significant than the one where the winner can earn gold. Serbia and the United States met in the 2016 gold medal game, with the latter prevailing 96-66. That was before Jokic became the three-time NBA MVP.
“It’s a challenge,” Kerr explained. “Serbia is quite good. We can’t fall asleep because we beat them twice. We need to be ready for their greatest effort. We need to think about what they are going to do differently. Does Jokic play 40 minutes? What more might they have up their sleeves? Or do they play their game and give it a try? “Each game is so different and unique.”
In conclusion, the dramatic quarterfinal victory over Brazil underlined Team USA’s superiority and readiness for the challenges ahead. With every player contributing and the squad blazing on all cylinders, they’ve demonstrated why they’re one of the favorites for the gold medal. As the Paris Olympics advance, basketball fans can expect more entertaining and high-stakes games from Team USA’s talented and dedicated players.
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