The USA is simply a few days away from a semifinal showdown with Nikola Jokic and Serbia — a sport that ought to be tighter than their earlier assembly within the group stage — and it enters the sport with a few bumps and bruises.
LeBron James left the sport within the third quarter after an incidental elbow simply above his left eye from Brazil’s Georginho De Paula. He wanted 4 stitches to shut it, USA coach Steve Kerr stated postgame. LeBron returned to the bench within the fourth quarter — simply as the gang erupted for French swimmer Léon Marchand, who had entered the constructing — however didn’t return to the court docket, as the sport was effectively in hand by that time. After the sport, LeBron instructed ESPN’s Marc Spears, “I am okay. I simply obtained hit with an inadvertent elbow.”
Joel Embiid led the USA in scoring within the first half with 14 factors however did not play within the second half after telling Kerr he had some ankle discomfort. Very like the LeBron scenario, with the USA up 27 on the half, there was no cause to push Embiid to return. Anthony Davis began the second half and the USA cruised to the win.
Kerr will need each LeBron and Embiid vs. Serbia.
Embiid as a result of he’s an enormous physique introduced in partially only for this matchup towards Jokic — as nice a defender as Davis is, Jokic can punish him inside. With LeBron, the USA began to drag away from Serbia within the group stage sport when the Serbs tried to double LeBron at factors and he carved them up together with his passing. Each of these issues will matter on Thursday (3 p.m. ET on USA Community and Peacock) if the USA goes to play for gold.
