In a dramatic pre-Olympics warm-up game in London, the United States overcame a 16-point deficit to secure a 101-100 victory over South Sudan, narrowly avoiding one of the biggest upsets in basketball history on Saturday night.
South Sudan led 58-42 in the second quarter and held a 14-point advantage at halftime in the game at the O2 Arena. However, the USA went on a 16-0 run to end the third quarter with a five-point lead. South Sudan fought back and took a one-point lead with 20 seconds remaining.
LeBron James hit a crucial layup to put the USA ahead by one point with eight seconds left, and South Sudan couldn’t find a game-winner in the final moments.
The USA, aiming for a fifth consecutive men’s basketball gold medal at the upcoming Olympics in Paris, faced a formidable challenge from South Sudan, ranked 33rd in the world and making their first Olympic appearance.
Despite the USA’s roster filled with some of the NBA’s top talents, South Sudan, with only four players having NBA experience, outplayed the world number one team in the first half, shooting 61% from the field. The USA managed only one three-pointer in that period.
Marial Shayok led South Sudan with a game-high 25 points, and Charlotte Hornets forward JT Thor hit a late three-pointer to put his team ahead 100-99. However, James, who finished with 23 points, capped off a strong second-half performance with the game-winning layup.
The USA has won all four of their pre-Olympic exhibition games, with their final warm-up scheduled against Germany at the O2 Arena on Monday. “That was better than the blowouts; at least we got tested. I like getting tested, baby,” said the 39-year-old two-time Olympic champion James.
The USA and South Sudan will face each other again in Group C of the 2024 Olympics on July 31st. The other two teams in their group are Puerto Rico and Serbia.
“The match was super important because we feel like we can’t be beaten, and they showed us we can be beat,” said USA guard Anthony Edwards. “We have to come ready to play.”
