VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — The “Lille Olympics” are over for Workforce USA and went largely in line with plan.
Just a few defensive hiccups right here, a minor harm there, oh, and a bus experience or two as a result of somebody lit the practice monitor on fireplace final weekend, disrupting staff plans for trains between Paris and Lille, which is on the Belgian border.
However in any other case, the American staff of stars is strictly the place it deliberate to be because the event shifts to Paris for the knockout rounds, with full steam forward towards a fifth consecutive gold medal.
Workforce USA beat Puerto Rico 104-83 behind 26 factors from Anthony Edwards on Saturday to complete 3-0 in pool play and because the No. 1 general seed for the Olympic quarterfinals.
The U.S. emerged from pool play No. 1 general as a result of a 64-plus level differential over the three video games and can play Brazil in an Olympic quarterfinal Tuesday at Accor Enviornment — the place the NBA usually performs when it has video games in Paris.
“I imply, primary, it’s been actually enjoyable to be in Lille — it’s a ravishing place,” Workforce USA coach Steve Kerr stated. “I feel we acquired executed what we wished to perform, successful all three video games and securing the highest seed. We all know we’ve to play higher. A part of this event is it will get tougher as you go, after all. And our purpose is simply to attempt to get higher every recreation and we’ll have tomorrow off after which a one-week dash, three video games. So we’ll see how we do.”
Brazil went 1-2, shedding by double digits to each France and Germany however connecting on 17 3s in an 18-point win over Japan to advance to the quarterfinals. The Germans and Canadians additionally went 3-0 in pool play and Germany is ranked second behind the U.S.
“We’ve seen virtually everyone. We haven’t seen Brazil although,” Kerr stated. “Brazil is our focus.”
The primary portion of the boys’s and ladies’s tournaments had been moved to an out of doors soccer stadium with a retractable roof, simply exterior of Lille, primarily so gymnastics might happen in Accor Enviornment. The U.S. stayed and practiced in Paris however traveled to Lille the evening earlier than every of the three video games, which additionally included snug wins over Serbia and South Sudan.
Edwards, Workforce USA’s youngest participant at age 22, got here off the bench to shoot 11 of 15 with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. The main scorer for the People final summer season on the World Cup, Edwards dazzled with an array of drives to the rim, mid-range jumpers and three 3s. His coolest play was a tap-away steal and windmill slam with about 9 minutes left and the People up by 25.
Anthony Edwards breaks out the WINDMILL in Paris! 🔥 #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/FdFYNz5eXr
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
“I wished to go between the legs (within the air for a dunk), however I ain’t tried it in a minute so I didn’t wish to embarrass myself,” Edwards stated. “I wish to dunk on someone, however I ain’t acquired a lane but. I’m glad I acquired that one.”
LeBron James, as standard for this event, handed in an entire efficiency with 10 factors, eight assists and 6 rebounds in simply 18 minutes. Kevin Durant scored 11 factors and nonetheless wants 4 extra to grow to be USA Basketball’s all-time main scorer on the Olympics for each the boys’s and ladies’s applications, forward of Lisa Leslie (488 profession factors).
Edwards’ domination within the second half (he scored 14 factors from late within the third to the center of the fourth quarter, with Durant on the court docket) had one thing to do with Durant falling simply in need of passing Leslie.
Joel Embiid returned to the U.S. beginning lineup after sitting out in opposition to South Sudan. He scored 15 factors with three boards in practically 23 minutes. In a confounding twist, the French crowd continued to boo him every time he touched the ball, however the crowd at giant erupted in applause when he scored or blocked a shot. There have been American followers within the constructing, certain, however the applause was so loud, that a minimum of among the individuals booing him for selecting Workforce USA over France for the Olympics additionally needed to be cheering when he scored.
“I feel that’s all you are able to do is snigger about it and he’s executed an excellent job simply making mild of it,” Kerr stated. “And his teammates, clearly, have his again, however it’s all a part of it. I’m certain he knew this was coming and what I favored is that after the French followers would boo, you could possibly hear the American followers cheer and so everyone appears to be having some enjoyable with it.”
With the U.S. forward by an insurmountable quantity and the clock winding down, Embiid held the ball to expire the clock and was hit with one other refrain of boos. He caught his hand to his ear, as if he wished the boos to develop louder. During the last two video games, Embiid’s U.S. teammates have joined him in taunting the group in response to the boos.
“I like it,” Edwards stated. “I don’t get what’s occurring, so I’m all for it.”
Jrue Vacation didn’t play as a result of an ankle harm suffered in Wednesday’s win; Kerr stated Vacation will play in opposition to Brazil and will have participated Saturday. Jayson Tatum began for Vacation and completed with 10 factors.
Jose Alvarado of the New Orleans Pelicans, the one NBA participant on the Puerto Rican roster, led his staff with 18 factors. The Puerto Ricans outrebounded Workforce USA, 51-48, regardless of a definite measurement and talent drawback within the publish. By American requirements, the 11 turnovers the U.S. dedicated weren’t unhealthy, however giving up 18 offensive rebounds to Puerto Rico is one thing to scrub up earlier than Tuesday.
Almost 20 years in the past to the day (12 days shy of the anniversary, if we’re counting), Puerto Rico opened the 2004 Olympics by pulling one of many largest worldwide upsets in historical past, defeating the People by 19 factors. It was the primary loss by a Workforce USA squad with NBA gamers.
And for about 17 minutes within the first half, a touch of chance that one other big upset wafted within the air. Alvarado scored 9 factors within the first quarter and the Puerto Ricans led by as many as eight. It was a 46-43 recreation with 3:15 left earlier than halftime when James threw a blinding behind-the-back move to Embiid for a layup. That play sparked an 18-2 run to shut the half for the People, who carried a 64-45 lead into the break.
James, 39, had six factors and three assists through the run.
It was ALL Workforce USA within the first half in opposition to Puerto Rico. 💪 #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/E2IOR4x55x
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
“I feel we’re in an excellent place,” James stated. “We will at all times get off to a greater begin to begin video games, however groups are very excited to go in opposition to us and it’s not a feel-out, however we might do a greater job beginning the video games. Giving up (29) within the first quarter as we speak, we didn’t like that and we acquired higher from that second on although.”
Whereas Durant is on the lookout for what could be an Olympic document 4 gold medals in males’s basketball, James can get his third gold with three extra wins. He was on the staff that misplaced to Puerto Rico 20 years in the past, co-captained the Redeem Workforce 4 years later with Kobe Bryant and was a part of the 2012 staff that dominated in London.
This summer season, counting 5 exhibition video games and three Olympic contests, James leads the staff in scoring and assists.
“Perhaps top-of-the-line issues about this journey for me has been to see LeBron behind the scenes, see the preparation, see the main target and getting an image for why he’s who he’s,” Kerr stated. “It’s simply wonderful to observe him. He loves the sport a lot. He loves the work, he loves his teammates. There’s an power and a pleasure to LeBron that simply, it type of spreads by the locker room.”
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(Photograph: Gregory Shamus / Getty Photographs)