Team USA Survives South Sudan Behind LeBron James’ Late-Game Heroics

In a nail-biting pre-Olympic exhibition match held at the O2 Arena in London, Team USA narrowly escaped with a 101-100 victory over a resilient South Sudan squad. Despite trailing by double digits at halftime, a late-game heroics from LeBron James secured the win for the star-studded American team.

The game began with an electrifying start as LeBron James ignited the crowd with a dunk on the first scoring play, quickly followed by another slam that put Team USA up 10-2. However, South Sudan, making its Olympic debut, showcased impressive resilience and skill. The Bright Stars caught fire from beyond the arc, fueled by the sharp shooting of Carlik Jones and Marial Shayok, and surged to a 14-point lead at halftime.

Team USA’s head coach, Steve Kerr, admitted his team was caught off guard by South Sudan’s intensity and execution. “South Sudan was amazing. Royal (Ivey) and his staff did a great job of preparing their team. I did not do a great job preparing ours,” Kerr said postgame. “The whole team was embarrassed at halftime, to be down 14 and outplayed.”

The second half saw a reinvigorated USA squad gradually chip away at the deficit. LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Anthony Edwards began to assert their presence, with Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis anchoring the defense. A deep three-pointer from Curry eventually gave Team USA its first lead since the opening minutes, heading into the final period up 81-76.

South Sudan, however, refused to back down. Back-to-back triples gave them a 100-99 lead with mere seconds remaining. In a dramatic final sequence, LeBron James drove to the basket, scoring a tough layup to put the USA ahead by one with eight seconds left. South Sudan had a chance to reclaim the lead, but Wenyen Gabriel’s final attempt was contested, and no foul was called, sealing the victory for Team USA.

LeBron James, who led all scorers with 25 points, acknowledged the challenge posed by South Sudan. “Don’t take anything away from South Sudan. They played extremely good basketball, and that’s why the game is won in between the lines and not all on paper,” he said.

Marial Shayok led South Sudan with 24 points, while Carlik Jones recorded a triple-double, proving a handful for the USA defense all night. South Sudan, under the leadership of former NBA All-Star Luol Deng, has made remarkable strides and will take confidence from this performance into their Olympic debut.

Team USA, aiming for a fifth consecutive gold medal in Paris, will now turn their attention to their final exhibition game against Germany. Coach Kerr emphasized the importance of this hard-fought win. “If we don’t play the right way and don’t come with the right energy and focus, we can be beaten, no matter who we play. This was a great reminder of that.” Team USA will officially open Olympic play when they face off against Serbia next Sunday.

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