LONDON (Great Britain) - South Sudan almost did the unthinkable. In the first of two friendly games for USA Basketball in London before flying to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, they came incredibly close to a miracle.
The Bright Stars tried to escape with a huge margin in the first half, making the South Sudanese fans in the stands dream loudly. But Steve Kerr's team brought home a hard-fought 101-100 win. USA remain perfect in this 2024 campaign.
Thanks to one man. The legendary LeBron James. This game is a must-watch.
The story of the game
History repeats itself, sometimes. USA Basketball lost to Nigeria on the road to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and now another African team almost pulled off a surprising win. South Sudan surely came ready to play in London, and they could make some noise in Paris.
In their first encounter played in Great Britain against the British hosts, Royal Ivey's team had to mount a comeback to secure a victory. However, at the O2 Arena tonight, the screenwriters provided a whole other script, with the USA team barely staying ahead at the final buzzer.
USA Basketball was even down by 16 points (58-42) at the end of the second quarter, and when Nuni Omot posterized Anthony Davis with a huge put-back dunk at the start of the third quarter, everybody was expecting the unthinkable.
However, the Los Angeles Lakers duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis stepped up in the second half. They led a comeback with a 16-0 run to close out the third quarter and provided the leadership needed to keep South Sudan on the losing side.
JT Thor gave South Sudan a surprising 100-99 lead with only twenty seconds left on the clock, following Anthony Davis's missed dunk attempt. But it was only a matter of time before LeBron James scored the go-ahead, decisive bucket.
The player of the game
The King enjoyed a warm welcome in London even before the tip-off, making everyone stand up during the pre-game shootaround with his signature one-handed dunks. He didn’t waste time replicating his impressive showcase once the game began and ensured USA Basketball followed his lead in their comeback during the third quarter.
Ending with 23 points (including the game-winner), 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in the friendly win over South Sudan and his former teammate Wenyen Gabriel, LeBron James had a memorable night in London. He simply would not let his team lose.
Twelve years ago, he had also left London with a gold medal from the Olympics.
The stats of the game
Since Royal Ivey took over South Sudan’s program, he has ensured that his team relies heavily on three-point shooting to win games. While at halftime his players were making half of their attempts (7/14) from beyond the arc, USA Basketball worked to limit their three-point opportunities in the second half.
Ultimately, South Sudan finished the game with 13/31 from three-point range, shooting 6/17 in the final twenty minutes. This played a significant role in their narrow, yet commendable, loss.
The takeaways from the game
In front of 17,343 spectators in London, USA Basketball and South Sudan delivered a spectacular show. The crowd played their part, and the action was thrilling. As they head to their confrontation at the Olympic Games in Paris, this matchup should be noted.
In a similar fashion to their game against Serbia in Abu Dhabi, USA Basketball saved their best for the second half, dominating the final twenty minutes of the encounter in London. It remains to be seen if this pattern will continue.
This game was also significant for Carlik Jones, who had been waiting almost a year for this moment. After narrowly missing a historic triple-double at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, he delivered a stellar performance with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists on his country's biggest basketball night.
Marial Shayok was another key player in South Sudan's ambitious challenge against the world’s best. Following his 27-point effort against Great Britain, he nearly matched that performance with 25 points and 6/12 shooting from beyond the arc.
What they said
"My guys came out with the right mindset and focus. They competed from start to finish. These guys are resilient, they're focused, they're tenacious. I wanted them to compete, and that's what they did," Royal Ivey, South Sudan's coach
"We settled down and we felt we could play against these guys. We're representing a country, South Sudanese people all over the world," Marial Shayok, South Sudan's guard
FIBA