The United States competes in its twenty-first Olympic games and has an overall record of 140-5. The Americans have won 16 gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal, including four consecutive gold medals in men’s basketball (2008, ’12, ’16, and ’20).
USA vs. Puerto Rico At The Olympics
Series record: The United States leads Puerto Rico 5-1 in all-time Olympic matchups.
Last Meeting: The United States and Puerto Rico last met in the Olympics on August 15, 2004, when the Americans lost 73-92.
USA’s last appearance
On July 31, the red, white, and blue secured a dominant 103-86 victory against South Sudan. The Americans took a 19-point lead into halftime after a dominant first two quarters, spearheaded by Bam Adebayo’s 14 points. The USA bench was critical, with Bam Adebayo, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, and Derrick White leading the way with 18, 14, 13, and 10 points, respectively. Although South Sudan edged the United States by two points in the second half, the United States took advantage of their strong start to earn the decisive victory.
The USA won with a balanced attack, highlighting the team’s facilitation and ball protection. The Americans had 29 assists compared to South Sudan’s 17 and only 15 turnovers compared to South Sudan’s 19. Devin Booker led the playmaking with a team-high six assists, while LeBron James dished out five assists of his own.
USA Statistics (Group Phase)
- Record: 2-0.
- Points per game: 106.5.
- Rebounds per Game: 37.5
- Average assists per game: 26.5.
- Steals per game: 11.
- FG%: 57.6%
- 3PT%: 50%
- The opponent’s FG% is 42%.
- Opponent’s 3PT%: 30.3%
Puerto Rico’s Final Showing
Puerto Rico is still hurting from its 41-point setback to Serbia (107-66) on July 31. Serbia’s height and powerful post-play were on full display, outscoring Puerto Rico 66-22 in the paint. The Puerto Rican defense struggled to handle Serbia’s big players, especially Nikola Jokic, who had 14 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists.
Despite a poor performance against Serbia, Puerto Rico had two standout performers. Christopher Ortiz and Ismeal Romero stepped up for their teams, scoring 19 and 10 points, respectively.
In addition to his 19 points, Ortiz had six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Romero also had an impact, tallying five rebounds and two steals. Another positive feature for Puerto Rico was its three-point shooting, which connected on 33.3% of its attempts from beyond the arc, which was significantly higher than its overall field goal percentage of 32.9%.
Puerto Rico Statistics (Group Phase)
- Record: 0–2.
- Points per Game: 72.5
- Rebounds per game: 30.5
- Assists per game: 18.
- steals per game: 11.
- FG%: 35.7%
- 3PT%: 34.4%
- Opponent’s FG%: 50%
- Opponent’s 3PT%: 32%
What To Watch
Bam Buckets: Adebayo stood out among the Americans in their balanced win over South Sudan. He scored 18 points on an excellent 8-of-10 shooting and contributed seven rebounds and two blocks. During his 20 minutes of play, the United States outscored their opponents by 22 points, underscoring Adebayo’s role off the bench in securing the victory.
Strength in Numbers: The United States’ remarkable depth was on full display against South Sudan, as the Americans scored an astounding 66 points off the bench, outscoring South Sudan’s reserves by 52 points (66-14). Puerto Rico’s bench has been outscored 75-62 in two group-stage games at the 2024 Paris Olympics. When the two teams meet on Saturday, the United States’ depth and well-rounded roster should capitalize on Puerto Rico’s second-unit minutes.
Battle on the Boards: Puerto Rico’s lack of size was noticeable in their encounter against Serbia, where they were utterly outrebounded (54-24). Serbia had three players with at least nine rebounds, while Ortiz, Puerto Rico’s rebounding leader, had only six. Watch their size advantage and board action as the USA prepares for its final group phase game.
Easy Money Sniper: Durant’s contribution in these two group-round games cannot be overstated, despite missing all five pre-Olympic exhibition matchups. Coming off the bench in both games, he averages a team-high 18.5 points, shooting 71.4% (10-14) from the field and a perfect 100% (7-7) from three. Durant delivers an overwhelming scoring presence for Team USA, giving them an advantage on the global stage. Watch for Durant as he approaches Lisa Leslie’s U.S. Olympic scoring records. He’s 16 points away from tying her for 488 career points.
In conclusion, as Team USA prepares for its last group game against Puerto Rico, it will focus on properly executing its game plan and obtaining a victory. The matchup allows them to strengthen their position in the competition and gain momentum for the knockout round. With essential players ready to step up with an emphasis on both offensive and defensive execution, Team USA is poised to make a solid push toward its Olympic ambitions.
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