The U.S. men’s basketball team avoided a shocking upset with a 101-100 victory over South Sudan in a pre-Olympic friendly in London on Saturday night.
With under 15 seconds left in the game, LeBron James took control. Down by one point, James effortlessly drove to the basket to put the USA back up by one point.
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis jumped high enough to deflect a shot from Carlik Jones, forcing a miss.
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U.S. forward LeBron James (right) shoots towards the basket while being defended by South Sudanese forward JT Soh during an exhibition game at the O2 Arena in London, Saturday, July 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Khin Chun)
The American team breathed a sigh of relief.
The U.S. started well in the first quarter, but after a South Sudan timeout, the momentum changed and Jones helped South Sudan take a 14-point lead by halftime, giving the U.S. a bit of a shaky start.
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U.S. guard Anthony Edwards, left, defends South Sudanese guard Carlik Jones during an exhibition game at the O2 Arena in London, Saturday, July 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Khin Chun)
The U.S. came out of the halftime break with a slower pace. The team moved the ball more inside with Davis and Joel Embiid rather than forcing missed 3-pointers. The U.S. outshot South Sudan, 57-42, to a tough victory.
The U.S. team led by as many as 45.5 points, according to CBS Sports, but struggled: They shot just 25 percent from three-point range and were outrebounded 42-39.
James contributed to the win with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Davis added 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Jones had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for South Sudan.
U.S. forward Anthony Davis (right) prepares for a pass while being guarded by South Sudanese forward Wenyen Gabriel during an exhibition game at the O2 Arena in London, Saturday, July 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Khin Chun)
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The U.S. team will have one more warm-up match against Germany before beginning their gold medal challenge in Paris.
