The U.S. men’s basketball team’s chances of winning the semifinal match versus Serbia were not excellent going into the fourth quarter.

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The gold medal ambitions of Team USA were at stake.

In the men’s Olympic gold medal match, a 17-point comeback was needed to force a rematch with France. This required a team effort.

It was made possible by Team USA.

In spectacular fashion, the U.S. men’s basketball team defeated Serbia, 95-91, at the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 after stepping on the gas. In the past month, the United States has defeated Serbia three times out of four, thanks to a historic comeback on Thursday night at Bercy Arena.

Dominant performances from Steph Curry and LeBron James, along with a Paris-best from Joel Embiid, led the charge in a must-win chance at defending gold, a title the U.S. has defended for the last four consecutive Games (2008, 2012, 2016, 2020).

With a game-high 36 points, including 9 3-pointers, Curry led the semifinals. This was not only the highest point total an American athlete has scored in the Games thus far, but it was also the finest scoring effort by an Olympian from the United States since Carmelo Anthony’s record-breaking 37 points and ten 3-pointers against Nigeria during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Curry’s historic performance was praised by head coach Steve Kerr, who has guided the 36-year-old to four NBA championship triumphs with the Golden State Warriors.

Kerr remarked, “I’ve watched Steph do this over and over.” “I believe that everyone in our team, as well as the coaching staff, was aware that he was going to play. It was only a question of time. That it arrived on the night we most needed it didn’t surprise me. Steph is the ultimate competitor; that’s who he is. He enjoys the big occasion. He was amazing this evening.

Curry said that this couldn’t have arrived at a better time, since he had been struggling to secure better scoring opportunities at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Curry remarked, “I haven’t had many opportunities and haven’t shot the ball well the entire tournament.” “But it doesn’t waver your confidence to meet the moment, and I had some great looks to start the game. I kept the beat going while taking them out.

“Those are the times you live for. And it doesn’t matter if you shoot three times or however many I shot tonight. You maintain your assurance.

James, 39, completed an Olympic triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. He became the third person ever to record a triple-double in the Olympics, and the first to do it twice, having done it at the London Olympics in 2012.

LeBron James dribbles up court during the men’s semifinals against Team Serbia at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on Aug. 8, 2024 in Paris. (Image courtesy of Getty Images))

When asked where this performance ranks, James could only laugh and note that it’s one of his all-time great performances for Team USA.

“It’s up there,” James said. “I’m 39 years old going into my 22nd season. I don’t how many opportunities or moments I’m going to get like this, just to be able to compete for something. Compete for something big and play in big games, and tonight was a big game.”

Joel Embiid, 30, returned to the floor following an ankle injury scare against Australia in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. He scored a tournament-best 19 points, seven of which fell in the fourth quarter to help secure the lead.

The comeback win took the Americans to a 5-0 record, having kicked off the tournament against Serbia earlier in the group phase with a dominant 110-84 showing. The U.S. also played them in the lead up to Paris during an exhibition, which saw Team USA win, 105-79.

Serbia, who were 3-1, came into the semifinals after erasing a 24-point deficit against Australia, which ended, 95-90, in overtime. Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić had continued a dominant run of form this Olympics, having led his country in points scored (77, fifth overall in Paris), rebounds (47, first) and assists (30, fifth) ahead of tonight’s match.

This time, however, Serbia found itself on the other side of the scoreline at full time.

While their momentum from their quarterfinals comeback win helped lead them to a 17-point lead during the second quarter, it sustained only until the last four minutes of the game, as defensive plays and clutch shots led to the U.S. closing it out.

Kerr noted that Serbia’s game plan from the start was phenomenal, as Jokić scored 17 points and 11 assists, and Bogdan Bogdanović tallied 20 points. The Serbians managed to string together 15 3-pointers, as well, which was a worry for the Americans.

“I was probably not as calm as I pretended to be,” said Kerr regarding the last quarter. “But we knew coming into this tournament that there’s always going to be a game like this. It’s the Olympics. FIBA (being) 40 minutes, (and with it being) one game and you’re out, you’re not going to breeze through this tournament, and we knew that.”

The U.S. competes for its fifth straight gold medal against hosts France on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 1:30 p.m. ET. The French battled out against Germany for a close 73-69 win on Thursday, securing its gold-medal rematch from the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

James believes that Team USA is ready to fight for gold.

“It’s great to be tested,” James said. “And our ultimate goal is one game away. So we look forward to the matchup on Saturday versus France.”