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Posts tagged as “NBA”

Curry and Wiggins combined for 50 points to help rout Hawks (120 – 97)

November 21, 2024

Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins lead the Warriors to rout the Atlanta Hawks 120-97 on Wednesday evening. Andrew Wiggins lead the Warriors with his 27 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists outing in their win against the resurging Atlant Hawks. Prior to their game against the Warriors, Hawks won 3 game out of 4 including a win against the defending champs, the Boston Celtics.

Steph Curry added 23 points and help setup his teammates with 8 assists. The Warriors lead as much as 31 points in the first half but cut it just 15 points entering the 4th Qtr.

Third Year Jalen Johnson lead the Hawks with 15 points and 14 rebounds. French Rookie Zaccharie Risacher and Trae Young scored 12 points apiece. No other Hawks player scored more than 15 points in the game.

Lindy Waters III scored 10 points and replaces De’Anthony Melton in lineup, to undergo season-ending knee surgery.

The Hawks will their last game of their four-game road trip this Friday against the Chicago Bulls, while the Warriors will visit the New Orleans Pelicans, also Friday evening.

Steph Curry name his All-Time Top 5 NBA players

November 17, 2024

In a video with Dude Perfect, GSW Superstar reveal his “all-time Top 5 NBA players”, which is considered a line-up that so great that no matter what era you put them, they will still come out on top.

Last year, his All-Time Top 5 NBA players are;

  • G – Magic Johnson
  • SG -Kobe Bryant
  • SF – Michael Jordan
  • PF – Tim Duncan
  • C – Shaquille O’Neal

This year, his All-Time Top 5 NBA players are;

  • G – Steph Curry
  • SG – Jordan
  • SF – LeBron James
  • PF – Tim Duncan
  • C – Shaq

Let’s dissect this for a moment;

At Point Guard, this replace Magic Johnson to himself, which understandable, since both Curry and Johnson are the two players contending for the Greatest Guard of All time.

Then on both the Shooting Guard and Small Forward, its interesting that removed Kobe and replace it with Michael Jordan, since Shooting Guard is the natural position of MJ and having Kobe and MJ on the same will more likely hurt the team more than anything else.

On Small Forward position, Curry listed Lebron James which is actually a no brainer, Lebron is considered second to MJ’s G.O.A.T. status, or if you’re a Lebron fan, you will surely consider Lebron number 1 in the G.O.A.T. conversation.

All in all, Curry’s new “All-Time Top 5 NBA players” are a collection of the “greatest” to have ever played the game, which is not a bad lineup no matter the era they play in.

You can watch the entirety of the video below;

Welcome to Overtime 48 STEPH CURRY EDITION!!! We meet up with Golden State Warrior legend Steph Curry for Cool Not Cool, Arena Golf, All Sports 3 Point Contest, and an exclusive one-on-one interview.

Curry-led Warriors move past Thunders in their Last Road Game (127 – 116)

November 11, 2024

Steph Curry led the Warriors as they took home the win for their final game of their 5-game road trip. Curry scored 36 points, with 7 of 13 from beyond the arc, 5 rebounds and 7 assists.

It was a bad night for the Thunders as their leading shot blocker Chet Holmgren suffered a right hip injury in first quarter when he fell after challenging Andrew Wiggins on a drive to the basket. Jonathan Kuminga scored 20 points, De’Anthony Melton added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Andrew Wiggins has 18 points,8 rebounds and 5 assists for the Warriors.

Even though being down by as much as 30-points, OKC manage to climb back and cut the lead down to just 6 points on a streal and break away dunk by Alex Caruso with less than 5 mins left in the game. But the deficit was just too much for the Thunders as the Warriors took control of the game via Jonathan Kuminga makes alley oop dunk shot (from a Draymond Green assists, then another three-points by Curry to secure the win.

Shai Gilgeous Alexander lead the team with 24 points and 5 rebounds, followed by a 20-points performance by Jalen Williams.

The win will put the Warriors, Suns and OKC on a 3-way tie (7-2 standing )for the top team in the West,

The Warriors will return back home to host the Dallas this Tuesday night, while the Thunder host the visitng Clippers on Monday evening.

Cleveland Cavaliers routs Golden State Warriors to remain undefeated 136 – 117

November 9, 2024

The Cavs secured their 10th straight win after handing the Warriors their second and their worst loss in a young NBA season. The game was technically over once the Cavs ended the first with a 41-point lead.

It was basically a 3-point shootout and the Cavs won by making 20 of their 42 three-points shots, compare to just 13 made three-points by the Warriors.

Cavs was lead by Darius Garland with 27 points, making 6 of 11 three-points, with 6 assists. Cavs leading scorer Donovan Mitchell added 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, Evan Mobley had a 23 points.

Warriors leading scorer Steph Curry just scored 12 points, while Draymond Green only manage to score 6 point, grabbed 2 rebounds and 6 assists. Jonathan Kuminga lead the team with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, then Brandin Podziemski manage to score 14 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists performance by . By half-time, most of the Warriors starters are playing with limited minutes in the 3rd and no longer playing by 4th period. You can check-out the box score for the game here.

Warriors will wrap-up their 5-game road trip this Sunday as they visit Oklahoma, while the Cavs will host the Nets this Saturday night.

Golden State Warriors defeats Boston Celtics for their 5th straight win (118-112)

November 7, 2024

Steph Curry once again the “Proud daddy of… The Boston Celtics” has he lead the Warriors over the Celtics 118-112. Curry scored 27 points, on a 4 of 9 shooting from the three-point line, with 7 rebounds and 9 assists. He was also active on the defensive side with 4 steals and a block.

Andrew Wiggins and Buddy Hield scored 16 points apiece. Hield was the one sealed the game on a make 3-points from a Curry assist with less than 50 secs remaining in the game. Three bench players of the Warriors has a double-digits points, showing that they have the depth to go toe-to-toe against the top teams in the league.

The Boston Celtics lead by Jayson Tatum scored 32 points, was 5 of 10 (50%) from beyond the arc. Derrick White added 26 points and 6 reounds.

Both team are evenly match but the Warriors is far more efficient with their 3-point shots in this game, 41.2% against Boston’s 35.2%, which could be the difference in getting the win or the loss.

Next for the Warriors is they head to Cleveland to face the Cavs, the remaining undefeated team in the NBA, and the Celtics will host the Brooklyn Nets both this Friday night.

Golden State win 4th straight game over the Washington Wizards (125-112)

November 5, 2024

Steph Curry scored 24 points in 24 minutes in his return from ankle injury to help the Warriors win its 4th straight game in a victory over the Wizards.

Curry missed the 3 games due to an ankle injury he suffered in a lost against the Clippers. The Warriors despite the absence of Curry, the Warriors manage to win 3 straight games thanks to Buddy Heild’s hot shooting and Warriors bench.

Against the Wizrds, Heild scored 20 points and 5 rebounds, followed by Draymond Green’s 18 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 24 points, rookie Kyshawn George added 20 points and 6 rebounds. Washington will start their five-game road trip in Memphis this Friday night. The Warriors will visit Boston on Wednesday evening.

Source: ESPN NBA

Warriors survive Rockets in OT (127-121)

November 3, 2024

The Golden State Warriors just bagged their 3rd straight win without their leader Steph Curry, and manage to do it even after squandering a 31 points. After the Warriors built a 31-point lead in the first half, the Rockets answered with an 18-2 run to start the fourth quarter.

In regulation, the Warriors lead by 5 with 28.1 secs remaining but the Rockets manage to close the gap on a Jabari Smith Jr. 26-foot three pointer and Tari Eason manage to tie game by making both of his free throw after being fouled by Draymond Green, committing his 6th personal foul of the game.

Jonathan Kuminga, then took over in OT, scoring 4-consecutve points, then Kyle Anderson added another 2-points to build a 6 point lead with just 2:28 remaining in the period. Fred VanVleet was able to answer by making a driving layup but that was the last point for the Rockets but the clock expires.

The Warriors was lead by Buddy Hield with 27 points and 7 rebounds, followed by Jonathan Kuminga’s 23 points and 6 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins added 15 points for the Warrios in his return after missing two games with a strained back.

Tari Eason led the Rockets with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals. Jabari Smith Jr. added 21 points and 7 rebounds.

Houston Rockets will host the NY Knicks, while the Warriors will visit the Wizards, both games will be this on Monday evening.

Golden State Warriors sweeps the New Orleans Pelicans for their Back-to-Back home games

October 31, 2024

Golden State Warriors sweeps the New Orleans Pelicans for their two-game homestand. The Warriors got the two-wins even though they are missing two of their starters; Steph Curry with a sprained left ankle and Andrew Wiggins with a lower back strains. It was the Warriors bench who kept them in the game.

Buddy Hield and Lindy Waters III Sharpshooting Leads Warriors to 20-Point Comeback Win Over Pelicans

Buddy Hield (28 PTS, 7 3PM) and Lindy Waters III (21 PTS, 3 3PM) combined for 49 points and 10 3-pointers in the Warriors’ 124-106 comeback victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at Chase Center on Tuesday. Hield exploded for 25 points on 8-for-10 shooting in the second half, while Waters scored 17 points over a two-quarter span, which the Warriors won by 25 points.

The Dubs had a 36-point advantage from behind the arc, sinking 21 3-pointers compared to just nine for the Pelicans. Depth and perimeter shooting have been pillars emphasized by Head Coach Steve Kerr about this group and both were on display on Tuesday, as the Warriors were without Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and De’Anthony Melton. They trailed by as many as 20 points and nearly did a full-reversal, winning by 18.

Dubs Defeat Pelicans for Second Time in Two Nights

Six Dubs scored in double figures as the Golden State Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 104-89 at Chase Center on Wednesday night.

Buddy Hield led the way with 21 points off the bench, while Brandin Podziemski finished with a near triple-double, recording 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Miami Heat unveil Dwyane Wade Statue

October 28, 2024

The Miami Heat has unveil the Dwyane Wade statue, 8 months after team president Pat Riley announced the plans for the tribute. The unveiling ceremony was made before the Monday game against the visiting Detroit Piston and on the 21st anniversary of Wade’s debut game with the franchise.

Dwyane Wade statue outside Kaseya Center in Miami, Fl

The statue also includes a wall listing Dwyane Wade’s career accomplishments and has been placed outside the front doors of the team’s arena. Wade was part of the 2006 NBA Championship against the Dallas Mavericks. Then in 2012 and 2013, where he helped Lebron James and Chris Bosh win their NBA Championships.

You can watch the Dwyane Wade Statue Unveil Ceremony below;

Lakers win over Kings behind James’ triple-double (131-127)

October 27, 2024

The LA Lakers remains undefeated with their win over the Sacramento Kings (131-127) under the newly minted Coach JJ Redick. Lebron James who had a triple-double, lead the team with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Then followed by Anthony Davis with his 31 points and 9 rebounds.

The Lakers lead as many as many as 15 points, when the Kings cut the deficit to just 4 points by the end of the second qtr. The Kings even manage to build a 7-point lead in the 3rd quarter but it was James 16 point explosion in the 4th qtr that gave the Lakers the win.

Domantas Sabonis, who also had a triple-double, lead the Kings with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Deaaron Fox and Demar Derozan, scored 28 points and 23 points, respectively. Six players on both the Lakers and Kings, scored scored in double figures.

This will be Lebron James’ 114th triple-double in the regular season and 143rd for his whole career.

Lakers will visit the Suns on Monday, Oct 10th, to start their 5-game road trip, while the Kings will host the Trail Blazers, also this Monday night.

Golden State Warriors routs Utah Jazz behind Buddy Hield’s 27-points game (127 – 86)

October 27, 2024

It looks like the Golden State Warriors got the perfect player, Buddy Hield to replace Klay Thompson, in terms of production and shooting prowess. The former Sixers lead the Warriors with 24 points, all in the first half, hitting 6 of 7 three-pointers, to help the Warriors to have a 2-0 start of the season. In his first two games as a Warriors, Buddy Hield is shooting 69.2% on the field, averages 24.5 points per game and 75% from the 3-point line, that’s 12 out of 16 three-point shot.

Steph Curry added 20 points, 3 rebound and 4 assists, from the inside Trayce Jackson Davis scored 12 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Just like their first game, Warriors Head Coach emptied the bench and gave all players at least 6 mins of game time. This is understandable, since it’s still early in the season and this will be the perfect time to give the young players a taste on what’s it like playing in the NBA, of course this may change when the Warriors face a non-lottery team that would force Steve Kerr to use a shorter rotation.

Here’s the team stats from ESPN;

Next for the Warriors is they will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday and the Jazz will visit Dallas on Monday night.

Golden State Warriors wins 1st game of the Season over Portland Trail Blazers (139 – 104)

October 24, 2024

On their first game of the season, the Golden State Warriors appeared to have “move on” from Klay Thompson, after trading the “other half” of the Splash Brothers to the Dallas Mavericks.

Steph Curry was flirting with a triple-double, scoring 17 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists and 2 steals. Curry shot 4 for 7 from behind the arc, all this in just 25 mins of playing time. He did received a lot of help from the rest of the Warriors. Seven GSW players scored in double-digit point and every Warriors played at least 5 mins.

Buddy Hield, who was traded to the Warriors this off season, scored a 22 points on a 8-12 shooting and 5 of 7 from the three-point line. Andrew Wiggins also made an impact on the game, contributing 20 points and 4 rebounds.

Portland Trail Blazers had a hot start leading as many as 9 points but that was in the first qtr and the Warriors slowly turned it around and built a 27 point lead by the end of the 3rd, which at the time Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr played his young guys and bench players.

The Trail Blazers will host Pelicans on Friday, while the Warriors will go to the Utah also on Friday.

Los Angeles Lakers takes wins 1st game of the season against Minnesota Timberwolves (110 – 103)

October 23, 2024

It’s a historic night for the LA Lakers as they win their first game of the season.

First, there was Lebron and Bronny James, as the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA.

Then a dominant performance from Anthony Davis who scored a game high 36 points, 16 rebounds with 4 assists, a steal and 3 blocks. Followed by Rui Hachimura’s 18 points, 5 rebounds, an assist and 2 blocks. Lebron James added 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. As a team, the Lakers shot 44.2% from the field and even though they shot poorly from the 3-point line (5 of 30), the Lakers manage to build a 19 point lead to help them secure the win.

This is the first game that the Minnesota Timberwolves is playing without Karl-Anthony Towns and it shows, the team had a total of 16 turnovers versus 7 TO of the Lakers, then there’s 77 points-in-paint that they allowed. Anthony Edwards lead the Timberwolves with 27 points and 6 rebounds. Julius Randle and Donte Divincenzo scored a 16 points and 10 points, respectively.

Timberwolves will go to Sacramento on Thursday, while the Lakers will host Suns on Friday, 25th of October.

Here are some AD highlights;

Lakers Lebron and Bronny James, father-son duo share court for the first time

October 7, 2024

A historic moment in the NBA!

This was a pre-season game between the LA Lakers and Phoenix Suns. The Suns won the game (119 – 114), the elder James lead the game with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in just 16 mins of playing time, while the younger James played for 13 mins with 2 rebounds and 4 turnover.

KAT to Knicks trade now Official

October 3, 2024

That Karl-Anthony Towns 3-team trade to the Knicks is now official. NBA wrote “Karl-Anthony Towns joined the Knicks on Wednesday after the Minnesota Timberwolves sent their four-time All-Star to New York in a three-team trade that also included the Charlotte Hornets.”

Here’s the details of the trade;

Knicks receive:Β 

  • Karl-Anthony Towns (via Timberwolves)
  • Draft rights to James Nnaji (via Hornets)

Timberwolves receive:

  • Julius Randle (via Knicks)
  • Donte DiVincenzo (via Knicks)
  • Keita Bates-Diop (via Knicks)
  • Future first-round pick (from Knicks via Pistons)

Hornets receive:

  • Charlie Brown (via Knicks)
  • DaQuan Jeffries (via Knicks)
  • Duane Washington Jr. (via Knicks)
  • 2 future second-round picks (via Knicks)
  • 2025 second-round pick (via Timberwolves)
  • Cash considerations

KAT also posted a farewell message, embedded above, to the Timberwolves organization and the Minnesota fans, where he played since 2016 and won Rookie of the Year awards, All-Rookie 1st Team and All-NBA 3rd Team (twice).

Dikembe Mutombo Career Highlights

October 1, 2024

Wikipedia;

A 7-foot-2-inch (2.18 m), 260-pound (120 kg) center, Mutombo moved to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at age 21 to play college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas. In 1991, the Denver Nuggets chose Mutombo with the fourth overall pick of the NBA draft. During his NBA career, he played for six teams. Mutombo played in the NBA Finals for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 and for the New Jersey Nets in 2003. He received the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times, tied with Ben Wallace and Rudy Gobert for the most awards. Mutombo led the NBA in blocked shots three times, led the league in rebounds twice, and was named to eight All-Star teams. On January 10, 2007, Mutombo reached second place on the list of NBA career leaders in blocked shots.

At the conclusion of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Mutombo announced his retirement. His number 55 jersey has been retired by both the Denver Nuggets and the Atlanta Hawks. Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 11, 2015.

Dikembe Mutombo passed away at the age of 58 from brain cancer

October 1, 2024

NBA announced the death of one of the greatest big man in the NBA. He known for wagging his right index finger whenever he blocks a shot.

Drafted by the Denver Nuggets, Mutombo was the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft. After 6 season with the Nuggets, he signed a 5-year, $55 million free agent contract with the Atlanta Hawks, then one-year with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, he reached the NBA Finals while playing for both teams. In October 2003, he signed a two-year deal with the New York Knicks, then in 2004 the Knicks traded him to the Chicago Bulls, but before the start of the season the Bulls traded Mutombo to the Houston Rockets where he played for 5-years and retired in 2009 as Rockets.

Messages from the NBA and the teams that Mutombo played with;

Reports: Knicks acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns in 3-team deal   

September 29, 2024

Dave Campbell & Tim Reynolds | The Associated Press via NBA;

Per Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, New York is adding All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, sending back All-Star forward Julius Randle to the Timberwolves, along with guard Donte DiVincenzo and a protected first-round pick (via Detroit).

The Hornets soon emerged as a reportedly crucial third team in the deal, taking on DaQuan Jeffries and draft compensation to help facilitate considering the cap implications that come into play with a pair of β€œapron” teams.

A blockbuster trade but it appears that this is more on the salary cap situation of than anything else.

Former MVP Derrick Rose announce retirement after 16 years in the NBA   

September 26, 2024

Shams Charania, reporting for The Athletics/NYTimes;

Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose is retiring, the 35-year-old guard told The Athletic. He made his announcement official Thursday morning via social media and by placing ads in local newspapers of the six NBA cities he played for: Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis.

Derrick Rose, like Grant Hill, is one of those players that we did not get to see their full potential and their career are cut short because of injury.

Converse unveils Shai Weapon

August 19, 2024

Converse just introduced the Shai Weapon, a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-collab shoes, which is a new colorway of the iconic Converse Weapon. Converse is describing the shoes as;

Style icon Shai Gilgeous-Alexander inspired this take on a hardwood legendβ€”the Shai Weapon. It has the durability and comfort you expect, with details that make every pair unique.

The Shai weapon will retail for $140.00 and they are now available via converse.com or your location retailer.

Together with the Shai Weapon, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was also announced as the new creative director of Converse Basketball, the company did not provide any specifics about the position but we can expect more details from the Converse regarding Shai’s new position.

NBA just release a 5hr video highlights of Steph Curry

August 18, 2024
NBA just release a 5hr video highlights of Steph Curry

Watch 4+ hours of Steph Curry’s most unforgettable clutch moments, complete with his iconic ‘night-night’ celebration!

Never miss a moment with the latest news, trending stories and highlights to bring you closer to your favorite players and teams.

Stephen Curry is arguably the greatest shooter in all of basketball and even though his not as athletic as his other peers, he’s one of the most exciting player to watch in the basketball court.

To borrow Stephen A. Smith’s line – “Steph Curry is the greatest shooter God has ever created.“

Emirates NBA Cup 2024 Groupings and Schedule Announced

August 14, 2024

If you’re wonder, what the heck is the “Emirates NBA Cup 2024”? The Emirates NBA Cup 2024 was previously named the NBA In-Season Tournament, which debut last year and LA Lakers are the inaugural champions of the NBA In-Season Tournament.

Before we can talk about the, let’s talk about the groupings first and below are the groupings for the Emirates NBA Cup 2024.

Western Conference

Group A

  • (1) Minnesota
  • (2) LA Clippers
  • (3) Sacramento
  • (4) Houston
  • (5) Portland

Group B

  • (1) Oklahoma City
  • (2) Phoenix
  • (3) L.A. Lakers
  • (4) Utah
  • (5) San Antonio

Group C

  • (1) Denver
  • (2) Dallas
  • (3) New Orleans
  • (4) Golden State
  • (5) Memphis

Eastern Conference

Group A

  • (1) New York
  • (2) Orlando
  • (3) Philadelphia
  • (4) Brooklyn
  • (5) Charlotte

Group B

  • (1) Milwaukee
  • (2) Indiana
  • (3) Miami
  • (4) Toronto
  • (5) Detroit

Group C

  • (1) Boston
  • (2) Cleveland
  • (3) Chicago
  • (4) Atlanta
  • (5) Washington

Now that we have the groupings out of the way, the schedule for the Emirates NBA Cup 2024 will every Tuesday and Fridays starting this November 12th until December 3rd. The quarter finals will be on the December 11th and 12th, while the Semis will be on December 14th . The Emirates NBA Cup 2024 Finals will be on the 17th of December. Both Semis and the Finals will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As for the full schedule and who will be playing against who, you can checkout the full schedule published by the NBA.

If you are still clueless as how Emirates NBA Cup 2024 works, then here’s a 2 minute video;

As for the name Emirates NBA Cup 2024, NBA and Emirates, yes the Emirates Airlines based in Dubai, has signed a multiyear global marketing partnership naming Emirates the Official Global Airline Partner of the NBA.

Steph Curry powers Team USA for a Gold Medal Finish Against France (98 – 87)

August 11, 2024

The USA Men’s Basketball team, led by Steph Curry, has won the Olympic gold medal at the 5×5 Basketball tournament. Curry scored a team-high 24 points, making 8-of-12 shots from the three-point line, and added 5 assists. Teammates Booker and Durant each scored 15 points apiece, while LeBron James contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists. James was also awarded the tournament’s MVP.

It was a dramatic finish for the Americans, as France mounted a comeback by scoring 7 straight points, cutting the United States’ 14-point lead to a single possession game, thanks to a Wembanyama tip-in. But then Steph Curry showcased his greatness with a dagger three-pointer, defended by two French players. He then celebrated with his trademark “Night night” gesture while returning on defense.

Victor Wembanyama led the French team with 26 points but lacked his usual defensive presence compared to the semi-finals against Germany. Guerschon Yabusele added 20 points for France, while no other player scored more than 9 points. Considering the number of young French players entering the NBA, future Olympic medal games could become regular showdowns between the USA, France, and Serbia.

Steph Curry lead Team USA in a come-from-behind win over Serbia, advances to the Finals of the Men’s Olympic Basketball (95-91)

August 9, 2024

A Steph Curry exploding for 36 points, Lebron James triple-double and a 19-point game from Joel Embiid proved too much for Serbia to overcome, despite leading the game for the first three quarters (76-63). At one point, Serbia was ahead by as much as 17 points and seemed to be hitting every shot, especially from the 3-point line.

Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Serbian national team with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic added 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists. Aleksa Avramovic scored 15 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. However, as a team, they shot 38.5% from the 3-point line, especially in the final period when their shots started to miss.

As much offensive firepower as Team USA possessed, it was their defense that secured the win. Trailing by 13 points entering the fourth quarter, Team USA clamped down on Serbia, allowing just 15 points in the quarter after surrendering an average of 25.33 points in the first three quarters. Embiid and James made several stops that led to 9 fast-break points, and it was the bench players who helped turn the game around for the Americans.

Steph Curry led the team with 36 points and 8 rebounds, falling just one point short of tying Carmelo Anthony’s 37-point record at the 2012 London Olympics. LeBron James contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, his second triple-double in the Olympics. The “crowd-favorite,” Joel Embiid, scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Team USA will face Team France in the gold medal game this Saturday, August 10th, while Serbia will play Germany for the bronze medal.

Team USA Defeats South Sudan on Last-Second Layup by LeBron James (101 – 100)

July 21, 2024

In a game that will go down as a major upset alert, Team USA escaped with a narrow victory over a determined South Sudan team by a final score of 101 – 100. The win, secured on a buzzer-beating layup by LeBron James, exposed some vulnerabilities for the American squad and served as a wake-up call heading into the upcoming Olympic tournament.

South Sudan came out firing on all cylinders, surprising Team USA with their aggressive defense and hot shooting from beyond the arc. The young African nation connected on 14 of their 33 three-point attempts, keeping pace with a Team USA offense that struggled to find rhythm early on.

Despite boasting a star-studded roster, Team USA looked uncharacteristically sluggish throughout the contest. Their usually potent offense sputtered, connecting on only 7 of their 28 three-point attempts. LeBron James, however, remained a constant threat, finishing the game with a team-high 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Followed by Anthony Davis’ double-double, scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds.

With the clock winding down and South Sudan leading by a point 100 – 99, the ball found its way into the hands of the veteran leader. James, showcasing his experience and clutch ability, drove to the basket and converted a contested layup just as the buzzer sounded, sending the American bench into a frenzy.

The win, will keep USA’s undefeated record in exhibition play but raises concerns about their overall performance. Coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the coaching staff will use this game as a teaching moment, emphasizing the importance of staying focus and keeping their defensive intensity as they gear up for the Olympic Group stage this 28th of July.

Team USA’s next and last exhibition game will be this Monday, 22nd of July, against the Germany, who is the current 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Champions. Serbia and South Sudan are grouped together with the United States and Puerto Rico in the 2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Basketball Tournament Groupings.

Checkout some of the game highlights:

Full Game Highlights via @NBA;

Team USA narrowly escape Australia in an exhibition game in Abu Dhabi (98-82)

July 16, 2024

Team USA, composed of some of the greatest basketball players on the planet today, narrowly defeated the Australian National Team. Team USA led by as many as 24 points in the middle of the 3rd quarter (65-41), but the Australians went on a 20-11 run to cut the deficit to just 15 points (76-61) by the end of the period.

Then in the final quarter, Team USA struggled with their shots while the Australians made another run, closing the gap to just 6 points. It appeared the US National Team might lose, but Tyrese Haliburton hit two consecutive three-point shots to secure a 12-point lead, despite Team USA not scoring in almost 4 minutes.

The Australians weren’t finished, managing to cut the lead to just 4 points (90-94) with only 9 seconds remaining in the game.

Anthony Davis led the team with 17 points and 14 rebounds, followed by Devin Booker with 16 points and Anthony Edwards with 14. On the Australia national team, Jock Landale lead the team with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Josh Giddey chipped-in with his 17 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.

Team USA had six players score in double digits, dominated the boards with 45 rebounds against Australia’s 40, and made 12 three-pointers compared to Australia’s 4. Since this is an exhibition game with no bearing on the Olympic standings, it’s the pride of the US basketball team that’s at stake in these matchups.

Team USA will face the Serbia National Team, led by Nikola Jokic, on July 17th at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.