The United States men's basketball team found themselves trailing in a pre-Olympic exhibition game against South Sudan but managed to pull out a narrow victory thanks to LeBron James' heroics in the final seconds.
The United States men's basketball team avoided a shocking upset in a pre-Olympics exhibition against South Sudan in London on Saturday night, winning 101-100.
LeBron James took over with fewer than 15 seconds left in the game. Down one point, James had an easy drive to the basket to put the Americans back up one point.
Team USA Escapes Pre-Olympic Upset Scare Against South Sudan
On the other end, Anthony Davis jumped high enough to alter Carlik Jones' shot and force a miss.
Team USA breathed a sigh of relief.
Team USA Escapes Pre-Olympic Upset Scare Against South Sudan
The Americans got off to a hot start in the first quarter. But after South Sudan called a timeout, the momentum of the game shifted. Jones helped his country to a 14-point halftime lead and had the United States a little shaken up.
The U.S. came out of the halftime break and slowed the game down. The team worked the ball more inside with Davis and Joel Embiid instead of forcing up 3-pointers, which weren't falling. Team USA outscored South Sudan 57-42 to eke out the win.
Team USA Escapes Pre-Olympic Upset Scare Against South Sudan
Team USA was favored by as many as 45.5 points, according to CBS Sports. But the struggles were there. The team was shooting 25% from 3-point range and was outrebounded 42-39.
James had 23 points, six rebounds, and six assists in the win. Davis had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Jones finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for South Sudan.
Team USA has one more warmup against Germany before its quest for gold in Paris begins.
The close call against South Sudan has raised some concerns about the team's readiness for the Olympics. However, Head Coach Gregg Popovich has remained confident in his team's ability to come together and perform when it matters most.
"We're still a work in progress," Popovich said after the game. "But we're getting better every day. I'm confident that we'll be ready for the Olympics."
Team USA will open its Olympic campaign against France on July 25.
Despite the narrow victory over South Sudan, Team USA remains the heavy favorites to win gold in Paris. However, the exhibition game has shown that they will not have an easy path to the podium.
