In a dominant display of basketball prowess, the U.S. men’s basketball team crushed Brazil 122-87 in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Tuesday. The victory propels the American team to the semifinals, where they will face Serbia on Thursday, with a potential gold medal matchup against either France or Germany awaiting them.
From the outset, Team USA exhibited exceptional performance, underpinned by staunch defense and effective rebounding. Head coach Steve Kerr’s strategic emphasis on these fundamentals was evident as the U.S. held Brazil to 42% shooting and dominated the boards. The Americans showcased their offensive firepower, shooting 58% from the field and an impressive 48% from beyond the arc.
Devin Booker led the U.S. with 18 points, displaying his sharpshooting skills throughout the game. Joel Embiid added 14 points and seven rebounds, silencing the French fans’ boos with his stellar play. Kevin Durant contributed 11 points, while LeBron James, with a near triple-double performance of 12 points, nine assists, and three steals, solidified his leadership on the court. Anthony Davis also made a significant impact with 13 points and eight rebounds.
“I love how we’re defending and talking,” Durant said post-game. “I love how the first unit got us going tonight. Started us off well, and the second unit came in and tried to feed off of that. Teams are going to make runs against us, that’s just the nature of the game, but I like how we stayed poised throughout it all.”
LeBron James emphasized the importance of defense in their success. “It starts with the defensive end,” James remarked. “We understand that in order for us to lock down in this tournament it starts on the defensive end, and then offensively we’ve got to continue to help each other spread the ball out and be in a great rhythm.”
The U.S. team’s strategy and execution were clear from the beginning. They jumped to a quick 16-6 lead within the first four minutes of the game, with all five starters scoring early. Booker and Embiid set the tone, and the U.S. maintained a 33-21 lead at the end of the first quarter. Brazil made a brief run in the second quarter, trimming the deficit to 42-34, but the U.S. responded with a 21-4 surge to end the half leading 63-36.
Despite a minor scare when James took an accidental elbow to the eye from Brazil’s Georginho De Paula, he continued to contribute significantly until being taken to the locker room as a precaution. The U.S. team’s depth was on full display, with every player scoring in the blowout victory.
As the game progressed, the U.S. maintained their lead, heading into the fourth quarter with a 94-71 advantage. Booker connected on three 3-pointers in the third quarter, and Davis thrilled the crowd with a monster putback dunk.
Looking ahead, Coach Kerr remains cautious despite previous victories over Serbia. “Serbia is really good. We can’t get lulled to sleep because we beat them twice. We have to be prepared for their best effort. We’ve got to think about what they’re going to do differently.”
Serbia, led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, has shown resilience, notably coming back from a 24-point deficit to beat Australia in their quarterfinal game. The U.S. previously defeated Serbia 105-79 in an exhibition game in July and 110-84 in a Group C Olympics game on July 28. However, Kerr is acutely aware that every game presents new challenges.
Kevin Durant made history during the game, becoming the all-time leading scorer for Team USA in Olympic basketball, surpassing Lisa Leslie’s previous record of 488 points with a third-quarter bucket. “Records are meant to be broken,” Durant said. “We’re just focused on trying to win this gold.”
LeBron James also acknowledged Durant’s milestone. “He was born to play ball and he’s simply incredible. I’m happy for him, congratulations to him, super proud of him, and he’s got more to go.”