What We Learned When Steph and Team USA Defeated Brazil to Advance to the Semifinals originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Team USA cruised to a 122-87 victory against Brazil on Tuesday in the men’s basketball quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics at the Bercy Arena in Paris.
Brazil cut its deficit to single digits in the second quarter thanks to a 10-0 run, but Team USA’s defense held firm, using its own 15-0 run to close the half with a 27-point lead.
Through three quarters, Team USA had already scored 94 points. The talent discrepancy was clear and Team USA’s offense was difficult to control. Once again, a monster game from Steph Curry was not the answer for the Americans.
Curry scored just seven points and spent most of the second half enjoying the sideline view. Devin Booker, 18 points, was Team USA’s leading scorer, giving them four straight scorers in their four games at the Olympics. Six United States players scored 10 or more points, compared to just two from Brazil.
Kevin Durant continued to make his case as the greatest basketball player in Olympic history, surpassing Lisa Leslie for the most career points by a Team USA member, male or female, ever. Durant scored 11 points off the bench.
They were not challenged, but the US team could not have played better to reach the semi-finals.
Team USA will now face Serbia at noon Pacific Time on Thursday. The winner will face either France or Germany in the championship.
Here are three takeaways from Team USA’s 35-point victory.
Steph seven points
Another blowout win for Team USA, another day where a Curry hustle wasn’t necessary.
Quietly, Curry was perfect in the first half, scoring seven points on 2-of-2 shooting. He was fouled on his only 3-point attempt and made all three of his free throws. Curry’s two first-half scores were layups in the first quarter. His only shot in the second quarter was the 3-point attempt on which Curry was fouled.
Curry made one shot in the third quarter, missing a 3-pointer just over halfway through the period. Resting and relaxing, Curry watched the entire fourth quarter from the bench. That left him with seven points on 2-for-3 shooting while missing his only three. Curry played more than 16 minutes and had 18 more.
Team USA didn’t need Curry to be the top scorer in the group or the quarterfinals. Now a medal, especially a gold one, is at stake. A Steph Show could happen at any time, especially with the stakes rising.
The first points of Tuesday’s elimination game were not from Curry or any of Team USA’s stars, but rather from Curry’s young Warriors teammate. Gui Santos immediately made his presence felt on both sides, stealing a turnover from Joel Embiid and converting an easy layup. But it stalled shortly after.
Santos missed both shot attempts in the first half and, aside from the initial layup, didn’t score again until hitting a three in the first minute of the second half. The Warriors forward had two points, two rebounds and two steals in the first half, but also two fouls and scored minus-13 in two quarters.
In the second half, he scored just five more points, giving the Saints seven total on 3-of-8 shooting. Santos, 22, also had five rebounds, two assists and two steals, but a team-high four fouls. He was under 18 in 20 minutes.
Both Warriors players scored seven points each.
What is the next?
A third game this summer against the Denver Nuggets, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and his Serbian teammates await Team USA on Thursday.
Team USA defeated Serbia by 26 points in each of their first two matches, the first in their slate of five exhibition games and then to open the Group C game at the Olympics. However, it was clear in the last game how much of an impact Jokic makes.
Serbia were minus-26 in the nine-plus minutes Jokic didn’t play last time out against the Americans. Remember, Serbia lost exactly 26 points. To reach the semifinals with a five-point win over Australia on Tuesday, Jokic put up typical stats of 21 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. He’s going to get his, and Team USA coach Steve Kerr knows it.
Stopping Serbia means containing those around Jokic. Atlanta Hawks point guard Bogdan Bogdanovic recorded 17 points, five rebounds and six assists in a thrilling comeback victory against Australia in Tuesday’s extra time, and six Serbs scored in double figures. They also forced Australia to commit 20 turnovers, something the US team will have to watch out for.
Team USA should be on its way to the gold medal game against France or Germany. The Joker will make the semi-finals make them sweat.
