The semifinal clash between Serbia and the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games is being hailed as one of the greatest international basketball games in history.
Team USA staged a dramatic comeback, overcoming a 17-point deficit to secure a 95-91 victory. They began the fourth quarter trailing by 11 points but outscored Serbia 32-15 in the final period to clinch the win.
Stephen Curry led the Americans with a game-high 36 points, including nine three-pointers. Joel Embiid added 19 points, while LeBron James contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Kevin Durant played a crucial role, scoring nine points during key moments.
Serbia was led by Bogdan Bogdanovic, who scored 20 points, and Nikola Jokic, who tallied 17 points and 11 assists. Aleksa Avramovic also played a significant role with 15 points.
Durant described the game as “one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of” due to the team’s resilience. “That was at the top, one of the best games I’ve ever been a part of for the simple fact that we dug deep being down 15 that late in the game,” Durant said.
The two-time NBA champion praised the team’s performance in the fourth quarter. “We were down by 15 with like 11 seconds to go in the third. The fourth-quarter dominance we showed, winning 34-15, was incredible,” Durant added. He highlighted the defensive effort and transition play that fueled the comeback.
He also lauded his teammates for their contributions. “Steph Curry had the best night out of anybody the whole tournament. It was incredible to watch him knock down shots to keep us afloat,” Durant said. He also praised James and Embiid for their exceptional performances.
Durant acknowledged the high level of competition and the contributions of Serbian players. “I think this game is going to go down as one of the most memorable games for anybody. You see Jokic on that end doing what he can do to will his team to victory,” he said.
“Then you got MVPs on our team. You also got to get other guys credit too, like the Bogies and sorry if I’m forgetting number 30’s name, but he played a great game for them as well shooting and their whole team played extremely well. It was just high level basketball that people could enjoy down the wire. It was great entertainment, but it was also great basketball.”
