Jrue Holiday's playmaking, grit help Team USA stage comeback in Olympic semifinal

The former UCLA guard and the United States will play in the gold medal game Friday night

The Americans have a chance to defend their gold medal, thanks in large part to a massive third quarter run bookended by two Bruins.

Team USA men's basketball defeated Australia 97-78 in the semifinals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Thursday. The final score may scream blowout, but it was far from it throughout the first half.

Right out of the gates, the Aussies went up 24-18 in the first quarter and led by as many as 15 points midway through the second. A seven-point burst from Kevin Durant helped the United States close that gap to three before the half, but considering Australia won the prior head-to-head matchup in an exhibition July 12, an American win was still no sure thing.

Former UCLA guard Jrue Holiday made the first two shots of the second half, giving Team USA its first lead since the opening minute, and he ended up accounting for nine points in the third quarter alone. The Americans then went up by 11 before Holiday and Durant subbed out late in the third frame, but the run wasn't over – another former UCLA guard Zach LaVine picked off a pass and threw down an emphatic slam to cap off a 32-10 quarter and turn a back-and-forth affair into a bona fide blowout.

Zach's bounce is just 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 😲

🇺🇸 @ZachLaVine x #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/ISo59sX2kr

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 5, 2021

While the fourth quarter was even at 23-23, the damage was done and Team USA punched its ticket to the gold medal game for the fourth consecutive Olympics.

Holiday tied for third on his team with 11 points in the game, and LaVine wasn't far behind with nine. The two former Bruins shot a combined 9-for-17 from the field despite going 1-for-5 from 3.

Holiday's scoring was much-needed at times, but it was his ability to efficiently run Team USA's offense and distribute the ball that set him apart from his teammates. Holiday led all Americans with eight assists – no other player on Team USA had more than two – and his 8-to-2 assist-to-turnover ratio salvaged the rest of the team's negative 11-to-14 mark.

The upcoming gold medal game will be a rematch of the United States' Olympic-opening loss, with France and Team USA set to meet with podium spots on the line Saturday in Tokyo – or Friday night at 7:30 p.m. (PST).

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