Trailing by as many as 17, the United States pulled off a remarkable comeback to beat Serbia and advance to their fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal game.
The United States men's basketball team faced their toughest test yet in the Olympics on Monday, but they managed to pull off a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback to advance to their fourth straight gold medal game.
Trailing by as many as 17, the United States found themselves on the brink of a huge upset. But they quickly cut the deficit to five with just over seven minutes to go.
Team USA Survives Fourth-Quarter Scare, Advances to Gold Medal Game
Led by LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the U.S. team went on a 14-2 run to take over the game. Curry knocked down a pair of free throws with 8.2 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
The U.S. outscored Serbia 32-15 in the fourth quarter to complete the stunning comeback.
Team USA Survives Fourth-Quarter Scare, Advances to Gold Medal Game
Curry led the way for the United States with 36 points, while James recorded his second triple-double of the Olympics with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Joel Embiid added 19 points.
The Americans will now face host country France in the gold medal game, a rematch of the gold medal contest three years ago.
Team USA Survives Fourth-Quarter Scare, Advances to Gold Medal Game
The victory was a huge relief for Team USA, who were on the verge of suffering their first Olympic semifinal loss since 1988.
"Gotta get it the hard way," James said after the game. "Kudos to Serbia, but we came through."
The United States will be looking to win their fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal on Wednesday. They will face a tough challenge in France, who have been playing well throughout the tournament.
But if the United States can play with the same intensity and determination they showed in the fourth quarter against Serbia, they will be tough to beat.
