Sixers Star Joel Embiid Comes up Big for Team USA vs. Serbia

Sixers big man one win away from a gold medal with Team USA.

Aug 3, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States center Joel Embiid (11) gestures to the crowd in the fourth quarter against Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the Olympics, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has seen a lot of criticism for his lackluster numbers. While he started the tournament off slow, he's managed to find his stride at the perfect time.

On Thursday afternoon, Team USA had a rematch with Serbia in the semifinal round. The United States found themselves trailing for most of the game due to offensive struggles outside of Steph Curry.

In the fourth quarter, Team USA finally came alive and cut away into their deficit. One of the key players to help swing the momentum was Embiid. He ended up being the team's second-leading scorer to take down Nikola Jokic and company by a final score of 95-91.

Embiid logged 26 minutes against Serbia and finished with a stat line of 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one block. It was an efficient outing for the former MVP, shooting 8-for-11 from the field and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Process That.

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With this performance, Embiid showed why he should have been a starter for Team USA in the Olympics. His scoring and physicality on defense helped the United States swing the momentum and pull off this comeback.

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Coming off this thrilling win, Embiid finds himself just one win away from adding a gold medal from his list of accolades. This weekend, the United States will square off against France in the gold medal game.

Similar to the matchup with Serbia, Team USA is going to need a strong outing from Embiid against France. Seeing that they have two seven-footers in Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, he is sure to get a lot of playing time.