Lakers News: Anthony Davis, LeBron James Lead Team USA to Comeback Win vs South Sudan
![Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward Anthony Davis (14) catches a pass against Canada in the third quarter in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward Anthony Davis (14) catches a pass against Canada in the third quarter in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4685,h_2635,x_0,y_122/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_lakers/01j398rq48syamedt0hs.jpg)
Los Angeles Lakers All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis came to the rescue when USA Basketball fell into a 16-point hole midway through an unexpectedly chippy exhibition matchup against Team South Sudan on Saturday in London.
James put on a scoring clinic in the contest's second half, including scoring this game-winning lefty layup on a drive with eight seconds remaining in regulation:
Open shot, the fate of the universe on the line, the Martians have the death beam pointed at earth, you better hit it.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 20, 2024
🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/5hgoQ8iAl4
All told, James scored 25 points, pulled down seven rebounds and dished out six assists. Part of that output also included being the spark behind a 23-5 Team USA run from late in the third period (closed out with a 16-0 run) through early into the fourth quarter.
Davis, meanwhile, helped lead a ferocious comeback in the third quarter, alongside fellow All-Defensive center Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat. The duo helped mitigate the worst impacts of ex-Lakers center Wenyen Gabriel and anticipated 2025 lottery pick Khaman Maluach, a 17-year-old poised to play at Duke next summer.
Davis notched a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double, and continued to make a pretty clear case that he deserves to start at center over Joel Embiid, who once again looked horrific defensively, though he had a decent scoring night, notching 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor and 4-of-6 shooting from the charity stripe, aong with seven rebounds and three assists.
Next up for Team USA is a bout with Team Germany, the program's final warm-up game, slated for Monday.
Paris is right around the corner. After barely surviving South Sudan to win 101-100 at the last possible second, will Team USA possibly be ready?
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