Team USA continues its preparation for a run at a fifth straight gold medal in men’s basketball ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.On Saturday, the team beat South Sudan in a 101-100 thriller in London in the first of two exhibition games at O2 Arena.
LeBron James’ layup with eight seconds left sealed the game in which Team USA was down by 14 points at halftime. Carlik Jones had a triple-double for South Sudan (15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists) in an electric performance, missing a jumper with four seconds left that would have clinched an upset.
Related NBA reacts as Steph Curry scores 50
Team USA will next play Germany on Monday before taking off for France.The U.S. has already defeated other Olympic teams in preparation for Paris. Last week, the team beat Serbia and Australia in two games held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Related 2023 NBA All-Star Game is the worst basketball game ever played: Coach Michael Malone
Those games followed a win over Canada in Las Vegas on July 10.At the Olympics, Team USA will play three Group C games in Lille: on July 28 (Serbia), July 31 (South Sudan) and Aug. 3 (Puerto Rico).
The knockout rounds then shift to Paris with the quarterfinals (Aug. 6), semifinals (Aug. 8) and gold medal game (Aug. 10) at Accor Arena.
Here were the best moments from Team USA’s win against South Sudan.
