As Team USA is gearing up for the upcoming Paris Olympics, veteran LeBron James is showing his worth in the team. James scored 25 points against South Sudan in the team’s 101-100 win and also scored the match-winning three-pointer with only eight seconds remaining.
James carried his rich form against Germany as they registered a 92-88 victory. James finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and came up with an all-round performance. The four-time NBA champion said the players cheer for one another.
“We got a great group of guys and it doesn’t matter if it’s me, Joel [Embiid], Steph [Curry] or when [Kevin Durant] comes back,” James said. “Everybody going to have a moment and that’s what the team is all about. We all root for one another no matter how the game is going.”
At the fag end, James went 4-of-4 as he scored the last 11 points for Team USA.
“Just putting the team on his shoulders,” Team USA guard Jrue Holiday said. “Being LeBron James.”
On the other hand, Joel Embiid had 15 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Embiid admitted it takes him time to hit the ground running in a new season.
“People who watch me know that every season it takes me a couple of games to get going, and this is no different,” Embiid said. “That’s the reason we’ve got preseason games. I feel like myself and I’m going to keep going and I’m going to be playing at that MVP level I’ve played for the last five or six seasons.”
Furthermore, Steph Curry scored 13 points for Team USA but was just 1-of-7 on 3-pointers. But the Basketball powerhouse struggled with their shooting from deep, at 29%. The team’s head coach Steve Kerr admitted they can do better and come up with an improved performance.
“We can get a lot better,” Team USA coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re getting to a place now where we’re getting comfortable with rotations and I think guys are getting familiar with each other. … I think we can tighten up our game and get better. And that’s the plan here in the next couple of weeks.”
