The United States thrashed Brazil 122-87 on Tuesday in Paris-Bercy to qualify for the semi-finals of the men’s Olympic basketball tournament, which it will play against Serbia, the penultimate stop on the road to its fifth consecutive gold medal.
Ahead from start to finish, with a ten-point lead after four minutes, the United States took another firm step in an immaculate tournament in which it has not had to resolve any difficult situations.
It was Puerto Rico, on the last day of the group stage, that harbored some hope of a miracle when they were winning by one after 14 minutes.
LeBron James is once again the undisputed leader
The team packed with NBA players was once again led by LeBron James, who led the offense and defense with a total of 12 points scored, 9 assists, and 4 steals in a total of 16 minutes on the court.
Brazil once again had Bruno Caboclo as its leading player, who contributed 30 points and grabbed a total of 6 rebounds.
Devin Booker was the standout player with 5 three-pointers to complement his 18 points, followed by Anthony Edwards’ 17, Joel Embiid’s 14, and Kevin Durant’s 11. In addition, the American team converted 15 of the 31 long-distance shot attempts.
Also Read: Simone Biles Loses Her Balance and Another Olympic Medal Slips Away
This time, not even the legend’s call to action was needed, as he will be 40 years old in a few months.
The United States took off from the opening whistle with a lead that extended to 27 points at half-time (63-36).
Brazilian captain Marcelinho Huertas demonstrated the class that has allowed him to extend his career for more than two decades and has allowed him the luxury of playing a couple of seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers (2015-2017).
The United States is currently untouchable. If one is not having a good day, another one in the long list of figures will.
Joel Embiid (3/3) was particularly successful from three, booed as he was in the first phase in Lille every time he touched the ball for having given up playing for France.
The second half was a festival for both teams. Each with its own resources, the United States entertained the crowd by displaying its resources and Brazil left with an honorable defeat, the end of a remarkable career, having qualified for the Games in the Pre-Olympic and able to overcome the first phase.
Bruno Caboclo, the fine Brazilian inside player, was in good shape to reach 30 points. The party was completed with the public cheering Leon Marchand, the hero of French swimming with four gold medals, present in the stands. The 22-year-old ‘stole’ the spotlight from the NBA and had to stand up to take a bow.
In Brazil, Marcelinho said goodbye to his teammates one by one on the bench, as the last American baskets fell.
The United States will now face Serbia in an attempt to secure its 20th Olympic medal in its history. To date, it has 16 gold medals, one silver (Munich 1972) and two bronze (Seoul 1988 and Athens 2004). For its part, the Balkan team will try to climb onto its second Olympic podium after its time in Yugoslavia and the silver in Rio 2016, led once again by Denver Nuggets NBA player Nikola Jokic.
