Bench Players Shine As United States Defeats South Sudan Comfortably

In Paris on Wednesday, the United States men’s basketball team took a significant step towards securing a gold medal. Seeking redemption after a lackluster performance against South Sudan just two weeks prior in Paris, the team successfully defeated them with an impressive score of 103-86.

When the United States faced South Sudan in London on July 20, they were expected to win by over 40 points. However, the game proved to be a close call, with LeBron James securing a crucial layup with only eight seconds remaining to claim a narrow 101-100 victory and avoid an upset.

Before the game, attention was focused on the limited playing time for Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum. Despite Tatum’s outstanding postseason performance in the NBA, including being crowned the NBA Finals MVP, he failed to step on the court in the United States’ 110-84 win against Serbia.

In this game, Tatum finally had the opportunity to start for the United States. However, South Sudan displayed no intimidation in the face of the NBA stars and effectively moved the ball and secured rebounds against the taller American team, resulting in a back-and-forth contest early on.

At the score of 10-10, the United States made a complete lineup change, injecting additional energy into their performance. LeBron James contributed eight out of the ten points within the opening six minutes. The substitution of Kevin Durant received a noticeable ovation from the crowd, as Durant had previously delivered a strong performance in the first game. Assisted by Steph Curry, Jrue Holiday scored, granting the United States a 12-10 lead. Durant went on to make two free throws, extending their advantage to four points.

Unlike the first game, Durant did not have an easy time making shots, encountering frequent fouls on his attempts. Despite this physical play against him, Durant made four out of five free throws.

During the final four minutes of the opening quarter, the United States’ second unit, consisting of Durant, Derrick White, Anthony Edwards, and Bam Adebayo, dominated the court. Combining for a total of six points from Durant and four points from White, they outscored South Sudan 16-4. As a result, the United States held a commanding 26-14 lead after the first 10 minutes of gameplay.

The United States continued their momentum in the second quarter, scoring the first seven points. South Sudan’s Peter Jok managed to score a three-pointer, yet White quickly responded with a three-pointer of his own. The United States then made another lineup change, temporarily replacing LeBron James and Anthony Davis with Tatum and Curry. This offensive onslaught persisted.

During the second quarter’s midpoint timeout, Tyrese Haliburton made his first appearance in the tournament, joining the game as a United States player with a 40-23 lead. Haliburton immediately made an impact by scoring a three-pointer, followed by another successful deep shot.

Under the rim, Anthony Davis appeared to sustain an ankle injury, leading to Bam Adebayo returning to the game. In the paint, South Sudan struggled to counter Adebayo’s impact.

The United States headed into halftime with a 55-36 lead. Adebayo was the leading scorer with 14 points, flawless shooting, and four rebounds. Durant and Adebayo played identical roles in the first half, each accumulating ten minutes and 38 seconds of gameplay with a plus-23 rating. LeBron James contributed ten points, three rebounds, and three turnovers in 9 minutes and 22 seconds.

Devin Booker, renowned for his shooting skills in the NBA, only attempted one shot throughout the first half, yet he led the United States with five assists. In contrast, Curry struggled, failing to make any of his four field goal attempts and only scoring one point from a free throw. The United States’ bench outscored South Sudan’s reserves 40-5 in the first half.

Joel Embiid did not make an appearance prior to halftime.

The second half commenced with Davis returning to the court after his ankle injury. However, South Sudan refused to back down, akin to their performance in London. Following a magnificent alley-oop dunk by Tatum, South Sudan mounted a 13-3 run, narrowing the United States’ lead to only 11 points. Additionally, White and Holiday both fell and required assistance, making the situation more challenging for the United States.

Once again, the United States made a complete lineup change, resulting in Durant immediately securing two free throws. However, South Sudan responded, ensuring the game remained within an 11-point margin. White then impressed with a three-pointer, prompting a timeout due to a subsequent turnover.

Edwards continued to extend the United States’ lead in the late third quarter, scoring six consecutive points and establishing a 17-point advantage, with the second unit continuing to dominate.

As the third quarter came to an end, the United States held a commanding 73-56 advantage. LeBron James, Durant, White, and Adebayo all reached double figures. Meanwhile, Curry struggled to find his shooting rhythm, with zero successful field goals on seven attempts over 17 minutes and 20 seconds of gameplay.

Curry finally made his first shot three minutes into the fourth quarter, while the United States attempted to expand their lead. However, South Sudan, who lost their first game by 11 points, refused to surrender. They maintained a physical presence, making shots and keeping the game within a dozen points.

Wenyen Gabriel, leading South Sudan with ten rebounds, eventually fouled out with seven minutes remaining. At that point, the United States began exerting more defensive pressure, resulting in successful attacks on the rim and a widening lead. With three minutes left in regulation, their lead grew to 22 points.

LeBron James departed from the game with 2 minutes and 7 seconds remaining, accumulating 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in a total of 20 minutes and 33 seconds of gameplay. Despite his absence, the United States only experienced a minus-seven rating during his time on the court. Durant finished as the leading scorer with 14 points and a team-best plus-26 rating, coming off the bench.

Adebayo emerged as the top scorer for the United States with 18 points, equaling LeBron James and Davis with seven rebounds. Five United States players achieved double figures, including Edwards (13) and Booker (10) alongside LeBron, Durant, and Adebayo. Booker led the United States with six assists, while White, Durant, and Edwards all contributed three steals each.

The United States achieved an impressive victory, despite Curry only scoring three points from a single successful field goal out of nine attempts.

For South Sudan, the score differential became crucial as the game drew to a close. Although they managed to narrow the gap in the final minute, they ultimately fell short by 17 points. Omot led South Sudan’s scoring with 24 points, followed by Carlik Jones with 18 points. Shayok contributed 12 points, becoming the third South Sudan player to reach double figures.

With their second win in Group C, the United States secured a spot in the tournament’s quarterfinals.