Olympics Report: Steph Curry, LeBron James Rally Against Serbia, Head To Gold Medal Game

The NBA championship pedigree proved too much for Serbia to withstand in the fourth quarter.

LeBron James and Steph Curry Defeat Serbia / NBC

The 2024 version of the U.S. Dream Team was 17 points down against Serbia in the first half of the semifinal game at the Paris Olympics. The Americans trailed 54-43 at halftime but started to mount a comeback in the fourth period, down by 11 points.

Curry led the U.S. with 36 points (nine treys), eight rebounds, and two assists. LeBron James added a triple-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists. Embid's 19 points and four rebounds were crucial for the U.S. team as they thwarted the Serbians' upset bid.

"It's a blessing and a curse to be honest," Steph Curry told Mike Tirico about playing with all-star teammates. "Like you have to stay confident in what you're trying to do on offense because you have so many options. We got stuck a little bit that second half where we kind of were over-passing and over-cutting. Guys weren't taking shots because, you know, like the next guy KD [Kevin Durant], the next guy is LeBron, the next guy is Devin Booker. But once you just play basketball and the first open guy takes a shot. We have confidence in anybody."

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA guard Steph Curry (4) celebrates scoring on Canada during the first quarter of the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

The Serbians were sharp with well-executed plays, excellent rebounding, and fabulous assists from Nikola Jokic. However, the tides turned when the U.S. Dream Team stars Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James started hitting shots.

"We knew it's going to be difficult," LeBron James said. "We knew Serbia was going to give us everything they had. Kudos to Serbia. But we came through. Chef [Steph] Curry had a vintage Steph Curry game. Joel was big time for us. And we needed it."

Embed controlled the paint and forced Jokic into foul trouble in the fourth. The turning point in the contest was Durant's three-pointer, which created a six-point swing from 78-67 to 78-73, as Devin Booker buried a trey at 7:17 remaining. Still, Kerr's lineup with Steph Curry, LeBron James, Joel Embid, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant was clutch in the final minutes. All but Embid have NBA Finals Championship rings and know how to respond in crunch time.

France defeated Germany 73-69 in the semifinal game to secure a chance to play for the Olympic Men's Basketball Championship in front of a home crowd. On Saturday at 3:30 PM ET, the U.S. basketball team will battle Victor Wembanyama and Team France in the gold medal round.

---