The U.S. team recorded its second straight victory in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games on Wednesday, but did so without one of its key stars.
In the team’s 103-86 win over South Sudan, 76ers center Joel Embiid did not play the entire game due to a decision made by head coach Steve Kerr.
The Warriors head coach told reporters after the game that he seems to favor the quicker option against quicker opponents.
Without Embiid, the U.S. relied on a frontcourt rotation that included starter Anthony Davis, who scored eight points in 19 minutes, and Bam Adebayo, who came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes.
Other key contributors for the U.S. included Kevin Durant with 14 points, Anthony Edwards with 13 points and LeBron James with 12 points, as the team recorded its second consecutive victory by 16 or more points.
Embiid, who made his first appearance in an Olympic game on Sunday, started and scored four points in just over 11 minutes of play.
NBA fans seemed united in their support of the controversial player’s absence from the court, sharing videos of people cleaning the court and joking that the two-time scoring champion should hand out more water.
The most notable addition to the starting lineup was Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who was a noticeable absence in the team’s opener against Serbia after scoring just four points in 17 minutes.
Like Tatum, Kerr appears set to follow the same path as another Eastern Conference star in earning playing time.
The four-time NBA champion coach told media that the U.S. starting lineup against Puerto Rico will include Embiid, James, Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker.
Embiid, 30, was the 2022-23 MVP but battled a lingering knee injury and played in just 39 games last year.
Still, Embiid was named to his seventh All-Star team, averaging 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
The Sixers, who played most of the season without Embiid, went 47-35 before losing to the Knicks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Medal. NBAE via Getty Images
The U.S. team will resume action on Sunday at 11:15 a.m. ET in Paris against Puerto Rico in their final group stage match.
