Stephen Curry exploded for 36 points and nine 3-pointers, leading USA Basketball to a 17-point comeback victory over Serbia to advance to the championship game against France. Head Coach Steve Kerr drew up the game’s opening play for Curry, who curled off a screen into a mid-range jumper. Then, the threes started raining in for the NBA’s all-time leader as he sank four triples in the first quarter en route to 17 points in the frame. Knowing he had a flaming hot hand, Curry hit a three in front of his bench and looked away before it even went in, a familiar sight for Warriors fans but displayed on Thursday on an international stage.
Despite Curry’s stellar play, USAB trailed by eight after the first quarter and the Serbian lead grew to as many as 17 points in the first half. The United States began to cut into the lead in the third quarter, but aided by tremendous sharpshooting of their own, Serbia maintained a 13-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Center Joel Embiid and forwards Kevin Durant and LeBron James joined Curry in the closing lineup and each player had timely baskets down the stretch.
However, it was Curry who gave the United States the lead with his ninth triple of the game — the most made 3-pointers in a game by any player in this year’s tournament. Curry quickly added a transition layup to put the United States up five and sealed the game with two clutch free throws. He had scored 29 points throughout all of group play and the Quarterfinals but surpassed that total with 36 points when his country needed him most, just one point shy of Carmelo Anthony for the most points ever scored by a USAB player on this tournament stage.
Next up for the United States is a final rematch with host country France. USA Basketball beat France 87-82 in the 2021 championship game behind Kevin Durant’s 29 points and six rebounds. Four of USAB’s five starters remain from that group, including Durant, Bam Adebayo, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker. Jayson Tatum was also on that squad that captured gold. France has several current or former NBA players on their roster, headlined by NBA Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Victor Wembanyama and four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert. They defeated Germany 73-69 in the Semifinals, setting up the final with USA Basketball on Saturday. France has already beaten two previously undefeated teams in the Knockout Stage — Germany and Canada.
