USA survives huge scare as Stephen Curry leads LeBron James and Co back from 17-point hole to avoid Serbia embarrassment
TEAM USA avoided an embarrassing semifinal exit at the Paris Olympics, claiming a 95-91 win after a huge fourth quarter against Serbia.
The Americans will face France for the gold medal on Saturday.
Steph Curry, 36, exploded for 36 points in his best game of the Paris Games, stepping up when his teammates needed him the most.
LeBron James, 39, did it all on the court, ending up with 16 points, 12, rebounds, and 10 assists to become the only player ever to record multiple triple-doubles at the Olympics.
Nikola Jokic put his all-around talent on display too, logging 17 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, a steal, and a block.
But most of the threat came from the Serbian backcourt of Bogdan Bogdanovic and Aleksa Avramovic, who put up a combined 35 points while going 7-for-16 from 3.
READ MORE ON PARIS OLYMPICS
Serbia came out red-hot at Bercy Arena in Paris, France.
Nikola Jokic and Co. led by as many as 17 points in the first half before Team USA cut the lead to 54-43 at the break.
The Serbians showed no signs of slowing down for 30 minutes of play, maintaining a double-digit lead as pressure mounted for the Americans.
But the USA's Avengers put on a heroic display in the fourth quarter to get themselves out of trouble.
Most read in Basketball
Having shrugged off initial struggles in a matchup with Jokic, Joel Embiid – who would end up with 19 points, four rebounds, and two assists – joined Curry and James in driving the team's comeback push.
He went 3-for-3 from the field in the final period, showing off his clutch gene when every possession mattered.
In the end, Team USA outscored Serbia 32-15 while shooting 70.6% from the field in the final period to complete the spectacular turnaround.
James embraced Curry to show gratitude for his effort in a touching moment after the game.
"It was only a matter of time before he had one of these games," LeBron later said of the Golden State Warriors star's bounce back.
"We can see it every day. He puts too much work in to not have a game like this."
James also said he didn't mind being Team USA's Swiss Army knife.
"Whatever role the team needs me to play - I understand I need to do a little bit of everything," James said.
France secured a spot in the final earlier in the day, beating Germany 73-69.
The host nation will meet Team USA in a rematch of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic final.
Read More on The US Sun
Back then, the Americans won 87-82.
The USA will have a chance to win its 17th Olympic gold in men's basketball on Saturday.