Just 1 Point! Team USA Nearly Upset, Embiid's Bold Comments Backfire!

In the early hours of July 21st Beijing time, Team USA played their fourth Olympic warm-up game against African powerhouse South Sudan. Pre-game expectations were overwhelmingly in favor of a dominant victory for Team USA, with the media setting a 42-point spread, highlighting the perceived disparity in strength between the two teams. However, the actual game proved to be a nail-biter, with Team USA narrowly edging out South Sudan 101-100. The game itself was even more troubling than the final score suggested, as the Americans were trailing for most of the contest.

From the outset, Team USA struggled. They were quickly overtaken by South Sudan and found themselves trailing for the majority of the game. By halftime, they were down 44-58, a 14-point deficit that grew to as much as 16 points at one stage. In the third quarter, Team USA managed to mount a comeback with a 14-4 run, but South Sudan responded with a flurry of three-pointers, extending their lead back to double digits. With just three minutes remaining, Team USA was still behind by 11 points, 65-76. A furious rally led by Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, and Joel Embiid saw Team USA unleash a 16-0 run to take the lead. They outscored South Sudan 37-18 in the third quarter to finally regain control.

In the critical fourth quarter, Team USA maintained their lead, stretching it to seven points with 1.5 minutes left. However, South Sudan mounted another comeback, scoring eight points in 70 seconds to take a 100-99 lead with just 20 seconds remaining. LeBron James then took over, driving past South Sudan's Thon Maker to score the go-ahead basket. On the final defensive stand, Team USA successfully thwarted Carlik Jones’ floater attempt, securing a narrow victory.

LeBron James led the way for Team USA with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Anthony Davis contributed a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, Joel Embiid added 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, Anthony Edwards chipped in 11 points, and Stephen Curry had 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. For South Sudan, Carlik Jones achieved a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, Wenyen Gabriel added 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, Marial Shayok scored 25 points with six three-pointers, and Thon Maker contributed 14 points.

After the game, LeBron James commented in the tunnel, “I prefer games like this over blowouts. At least we were tested. I love being tested, baby.” Despite his words, one can't help but imagine the fallout if James had missed that final shot and Team USA had lost to an African team. Even in victory, the performance left many international fans dissatisfied, with numerous critics blaming head coach Steve Kerr. Kerr accepted responsibility, saying, “I didn’t have the team prepared well enough. We didn’t prepare adequately for South Sudan’s strengths. That’s on me.”

Kerr did make two valid points. He praised South Sudan and acknowledged, “This was a good wake-up call for us. When we play against these teams, they see it as the most important game of their lives.” He also noted, “We learned that the gap between world basketball and American basketball has narrowed… The sport is getting better globally.”

From 2008 in Beijing to 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio, Team USA captured gold with undefeated records. However, in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, they suffered a rare loss to France in the group stage, 76-83, marking their first Olympic defeat in nearly 20 years. That loss, coupled with relentless recruitment by Grant Hill, led to this year's star-studded Team USA roster. Yet, their group stage performance has been shaky. Besides the narrow win over South Sudan, they also scraped past Australia by just six points.

Joel Embiid’s performance was a focal point of discussion. Embiid had struggled in the previous three warm-up games, shooting just 7 of 19 from the field, playing as if he were still with the Philadelphia 76ers. In this game, he seemed to find his groove, scoring 14 points on 5 of 6 shooting, along with 7 rebounds and 3 assists, and a plus-minus of +14. Despite this improvement, Embiid’s pre-game comments raised eyebrows. He remarked, “Team USA has talent, but so do other teams. You have to understand, most of the star players on Team USA are older now. LeBron isn’t the same LeBron from a few years ago. People get deceived by the names on paper, but those reputations were built over their careers. They’re older now and not the same players they used to be.”

LeBron, now 39, responded with his performance, proving that he is still a force to be reckoned with. Embiid’s comments, while perhaps unwise, underscore the challenges facing this veteran-laden squad. Furthermore, Embiid claimed that if not for injuries, he could have been the greatest of all time (GOAT): “I feel I have that kind of talent. If you think about it, serious injuries have been the only thing holding me back. Every year, in the playoffs and regular season, someone hits my knee or my face—twice. These freak injuries always happen at the wrong time.”

Embiid’s low emotional intelligence in interviews, combined with past controversial statements, suggests that he might be better off speaking less. However, despite the criticism, Embiid remains a crucial part of Team USA. With Bam Adebayo lacking height and Anthony Davis having stamina issues, Embiid’s presence significantly bolsters their interior defense. He needs to focus more on playing inside and less on handling the ball like a guard.

The expectations for this Team USA are sky-high due to the presence of stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, and Jayson Tatum. The public expects not just gold, but a flawless run without any close calls. The overall performance in the first four warm-up games has been underwhelming. Fortunately, Team USA still has a major weapon yet to be deployed fully.

In summary, while Team USA managed to escape with a win against South Sudan, the narrow margin of victory and the manner in which they played have raised concerns. The once invincible aura surrounding Team USA seems to be fading, as the rest of the world catches up. The road to Olympic gold in Paris might be more challenging than ever, and it will require a unified effort from all the star players to ensure they meet the lofty expectations set upon them.