The stakes were as high as the storm clouds that seemed to gather over Bercy Arena. The United States men’s basketball team found itself in a shocking 17-point deficit against Serbia, and the pressure was palpable. You could almost hear the critical voices sharpening their knives, ready to pounce on Team USA’s potential failure.
When you don the Team USA jersey, expectations are sky-high. Losing in the semifinal round of the Olympics — especially to a team like Serbia — would be nothing short of a national embarrassment. In the world of sports, and particularly for a league that has taken definitive political stances in recent years, failure would be met with glee by critics, eager to label the team as entitled or unpatriotic.
But fortunately for Team USA, they had Stephen Curry on their side. Making his Olympic debut at age 36, Curry stepped up in a big way, scoring 36 of Team USA’s 95 points and leading them to a narrow 95-91 victory over Serbia. His performance not only saved the team’s gold medal hopes but also silenced those waiting to revel in their downfall.
STEPHEN. CURRY. TEAM USA LEADS.#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC, USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/C4MUUl1v78
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
Stephen Curry set the tone early, scoring 14 of the USA’s first 15 points. At one point, he got a little too confident, attempting a three-pointer from just inside the half-court line — a miss that seemed to ignite Serbia’s massive first-half surge. As Devin Booker put it bluntly, “They punched us in the face to start.”
Despite Curry’s scorching start, the rest of Team USA struggled to keep up, leading to a game that swung from frustrating to downright desperate. The Americans found themselves down by 17 points, teetering on the brink of what could have been their most humiliating loss in Olympic history. But then, the tide turned.
As the game wore on, Team USA’s stars began to remember who they were, clawing their way back into contention. The pivotal moment came in the fourth quarter when Curry drained a running three-pointer with just over two minutes left, giving the U.S. the lead for the first time since the opening minutes.
“Steph, that was a godlike performance,” Kevin Durant said after the game. “Shot after shot, getting a steal and finishing with a layup, he was everywhere tonight. That was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen him play.” High praise, indeed, especially coming from Durant, who played alongside Curry during one of his MVP seasons and two championship runs with the Golden State Warriors.
Anthony Edwards, the first American player to speak postgame, exuded the confidence of a team that had narrowly avoided disaster. “We was never like, ‘Oh no, it’s over,’” he said with a smile. “We knew we was going to turn it around. We didn’t know when it was going to happen.”
It finally happened in the fourth quarter, as Team USA whittled down a 13-point deficit, ultimately relying on Curry’s heroics to escape what could have been a devastating loss. Instead, they’re headed to the gold medal game, where they’ll face the host nation, France, with their championship hopes still very much alive.
stephen curry performance not only kept Team USA’s Olympic dreams intact but also reinforced his status as one of basketball’s all-time greats. As the U.S. prepares for the final showdown, one thing is clear: with Curry on their side, anything is possible.
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