Lakers' LeBron James, Team USA Rally Late to Beat Serbia, Advance to Gold Medal Game

James is angling to win his third gold medal — and Anthony Davis is hoping for his second.

Jul 28, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States forward Lebron James (6) and point guard Stephen Curry (4) celebrate after a play in the third quarter against Serbia 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

In a tense semifinal matchup against three-time Denver Nuggets MVP center Nikola Jokic and the rest of Team Serbia, Golden State Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry finally came alive for Team USA — and not a moment too soon.

After a lackluster start to his first (and, given that he's already 36, presumably last?) Olympics, the four-time NBA champion submitted an explosive game to help the U.S. survive a remarkable push from Team Serbia on Thursday.

In the game's first half, the U.S. trailed by as many as 17 points as Team Serbia rode a major 3-point shooting barrage. Serbia ultimately closed up by 11 points at the break, 54-43. It marked the first time Team USA had trailed at an Olympic half since 2021, when Team Australia led a less talented Team USA by three points, also in the semifinals. The Americans would go on to win that game, and claim their fourth consecutive gold medal at the Tokyo games. And history would repeat itself Thursday.

Steve Kerr barely played his backup centers Anthony Davis or Bam Adebayo during the game's first half, while benching All-NBA First Team Boston Celtics power forward Jayson Tatum and All-NBA Third Team Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton for the entire game.

Kerr pivoted to his far more defensively inclined bench rotation late into the third frame. But it didn't help much. The U.S. had trimmed Serbia's edge to just six points before the starters sat. Stunningly, the second unit primarily relied on tough floaters and jumpers from Phoenix Suns All-NBA power forward Kevin Durant, and trailed by double digits at the end of the fourth quarter, 76-63.

In the fourth, Team USA went on a run to compress the Serbians' lead, kicked off by a James floater. A critical Devin Booker triple and a costly fourth personal foul for Jokic helped the U.S. get back within five points, 78-73, around the seven-minute mark of the fourth frame.

Suddenly, the interior scoring of James and Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid, coupled with the long range sniping of Curry, Durant and Devin Booker, helped the Americans take control late in the game.

A LeBron James drive helped Team USA knot things up, 84-84, with 3:37 left to play. A short while later, this Curry triple soon gave the U.S. a one-point lead, 87-86:

Curry for the lead!

📺 USA Network + Peacock

🇺🇸 #USABMNT #Paris2024 #Basketball
pic.twitter.com/ttM0ZbsW6c

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 8, 2024

James, who along with Curry and Booker has started every game for the U.S., was one of just three players to score in double figures for the Americans. He notched 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field (2-of-4 from deep) and 2-of-3 shooting from the foul line. But that's not all, James had a very rare Olympic triple-double, as he also grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out 10 dimes. Curry led all scorers with 36 points, just a point less than ex-Laker Carmelo Anthony's all-time Olympic game scoring record of 37. Davis chipped in four points, two rebounds and one assist in limited minutes.

The Americans will now face Team France for their second consecutive gold medal game matchup. The U.S. bested that club in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics, but of course that was without the services of All-Defensive center and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, who's been putting on a two-way show for the home team so far.

James is angling to win his third gold medal — and Anthony Davis is hoping for his second. Prior to this year, neither had played in an Olympics since 2012.

Both Serbia and Team USA enjoyed bullish 3-point shooting numbers. The Americans went 16-of-32 from long range, while the Serbians shot 15-of-39. The U.S. was, stunningly, outscored in the post, 30-28, and had more turnover trouble than Team Serbia, 10-7. But the Americans did enjoy a significant field goal shooting edge, connecting on 57 percent of their takes from the floor to just 46 percent for Serbia.

More Lakers: Lakers Need To Consider Summer Trade for Former Los Angeles Lottery Pick