PARIS 2024 MEN’S BASKETBALL: KEVIN DURANT BREAKS SCORING RECORD AS TEAM USA CRUISES INTO SEMI-FINALS WITH EASY WIN OVER BRAZIL

Picture by 2024 Getty Images

Joel EMBIIDKevin DURANTLeBron JAMESBasketball
Tuesday’s Team USA matchup with Brazil was more like a tuneup for more competitive and meaningful games. The Americans led for the final 38 minutes and 40 seconds, kept everybody sharp and healthy and also gave center Joel Embiid an opportunity to regain his confidence with a sparkling first half.

The 122-87 victory was never in doubt as Team USA, besides a lackadaisical second-quarter stretch, was efficient and crisp. While the other three quarter-final games were filled with intrigue and even an upset, Team USA has avoided any drama during this Olympic Tournament, winning each of its games by an average of 24.75 points.

Team USA is still chasing perfection with 12 of the top players in the world. The motivation is the gold medal and they promised they’ll be prepared for Thursday’s semi-final, a matchup they won’t take lightly despite the opponent being Serbia, a team they soundly defeated by 26 in Group C play.

“Every game is its own test,” forward LeBron James said. “It doesn’t matter what happened before, it’s about what goes down Thursday night. So we need to lock in on our film session tomorrow, lock in during the day on Thursday and then come out and be ready to go.”