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Team USA Basketball Showcase: Live updates from US vs. South Sudan exhibition game

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Team USA Basketball Showcase: Live updates from US vs. South Sudan exhibition game

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Team USA men’s basketball continues its showcase schedule ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with a matchup Saturday against South Sudan.

Team USA is off to a good start through its first few showcase games. The squad earned an 86-72 win over Canada last week before holding off Australia late Monday to win 98-92. Anthony Edwards led the way in the first game with 13 points and Anthony Davis had a team-high 17 against Australia, both coming off the bench.

Most recently, Team USA took on Serbia and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokić. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry led the way with 22 points in the 105-79 win.

Today, Team USA takes on South Sudan – another team they’ll face in Group C at the 2024 Paris Games in less than two weeks. Follow along here for live updates from the game.

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Jrue Holiday’s hustle along the sideline keeps a play alive, and LeBron takes advantage, throwing down a huge dunk despite being fouled.

LeBron flexes, hits the free throw, and suddenly it’s 76-71.

USA is getting improved effort for sure, but turnovers and transition defense remain issues. South Sudan is taking advantage, with Marial Shayok hitting his fifth three-pointer of the night after yet another Carlik Jones assist.

Despite Team USA stepping it up, with three to go in the third quarter the “Bright Stars” lead by 11.

Team USA had to improve coming out of the locker room, and so far whatever changes were made are working. A 14-4 run in the first 3:45 of this half has turned what was a 14-point deficit into a two-possession game after Bam Adebayo knocks down two free throws.

Former Baylor Bear Omot cleans up a rebound with a huge dunk on Davis for 11 points on the night.

Anthony Edwards’s block on the perimeter turns into an and-one for Tatum on the other side of the floor. Team USA chipping away at this sizable deficit.

Anthony Edwards, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis start the second half with a fresh look to kick things off.

An upset is brewing in London, with Team USA looking sluggish and shooting poorly. South Sudan is creating openings to attack in transition, forcing turnovers, and shooting with confidence. This scoreline is no accident.

LeBron James leads the U.S. with 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting. However, the 39-year-old superstar also has a game-high four turnovers, underlining one of Team USA’s several issues in this first half.

South Sudan guard Carlik Jones is the star of the show, with 13 points and 6 assists (including more than one bucket scored by driving right at James).

Team USA is shooting 1-for-12 from three. South Sudan is has seven three for 50% from beyond the arc.

South Sudan has been playing with more energy and precision, but two straight stops on defense have been followed by a LeBron James drive and a Jrue Holiday layup after Devin Booker forced a turnover.

Even with those points, Team USA trails by 11 with a minute to go in the half.

Things have slowed down here after a long review of an out-of-bounds call is followed by a timeout on the floor.

South Sudan is shooting over 57% from the floor, including a gaudy 6-for-13 from three-point range. The U.S., meanwhile, has hit from three just once, and is 10-for-20 inside the arc. It boils down to Team USA getting more low-quality looks, while South Sudan is creating open shots by pushing the tempo in transition.

Steve Kerr has seen enough, bringing his starting five back into the game. That group came out with a lead, but South Sudan is now up by a stunning 15 after Steph Curry misses three-pointers on either side of a USA turnover.

You’re reading that right: it’s 43-28 South Sudan.

South Sudan is shooting the lights out, with Nuni Omot’s three from a full step back from the arc hitting their sixth three-pointer of the day.

It’s 36-28 South Sudan as Team USA misses its next three shots to boot.

Maluach is a 7-1, 250-pound center who comes by way of the NBA Academy Africa. Domestic fans will see a lot more of him as he has committed to Duke.

He comes in highly touted according to 247Sports and is heralded as the No. 4-ranked player and the No. 1-ranked center in the class. 

Despite coming out hot, Team USA has fallen behind South Sudan by two, 26-24.

South Sudan has been pretty sharp from three-point range, while USA has settled for some contested shots that didn’t fall.

Bam Adebayo is wide open after USA forces a turnover, and goes up for a powerful dunk.

However, South Sudan replies with a three right away, and with a minute to go in the first quarter, the United States trails 23-19.

Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jayson Tatum have all checked in for coach Steve Kerr, who made a line change.

However, South Sudan’s last few minutes have been good, and a dunk from 17-year-old Khaman Maluach makes it 18-16 in his side’s favor.

Former NBA power forward Wenyen Gabriel just made plays at both ends, draining a three before drawing a foul through some quick defensive footwork.

Marial Shayok drains a three shortly thereafter, and South Sudan is down by two…until Steph Curry nails a characteristic off-balance three.

Team USA is wasting no time taking charge of this exhibition. It’s 10-2 within the first three minutes, with the U.S. finishing multiple possessions off with statement dunks.

That includes one from LeBron James in transition.

USA vs. South Sudan: Time, TV, streaming and how to watch

  • Date: Saturday, July 20
  • Time: 3 p.m. ET
  • Location: The O2 Arena, London
  • TV: FOX
  • Streaming: Fox Sports app; fuboTV; YouTube TV

HOW TO WATCH: Catch Team USA in the Basketball Showcase with a Fubo subscription

Group A:

  • Australia
  • Greece
  • Canada
  • Spain

Group B:

Group C:

  • Serbia
  • South Sudan
  • Puerto Rico
  • U.S.
  • July 22: USA vs. Germany, 3 p.m. ET, Fox, London
  • Junior Madu, Tasmania JackJumpers
  • Nuni Omot, Taichung Suns
  • Carlik Jones, Partizan Mozzart Bet
  • Khaman Maluach, AS Douanes
  • Kuany Kuany, Keilor Thunder
  • Marial Shayok, Shandong Hi-Speed Kirin
  • Deng Acuoth, Knox Raiders
  • Majok Deng, Tasmania JackJumpers
  • Peter Jok, Cholet Basket
  • Koch Bar, Horsens IC
  • Wenyen Gabriel, Maccabi Tel Aviv
  • Sunday Dech, Adelaide 36ers

The 2024 Paris Olympics start on July 24 and run through August 11.

TV: Games broadcast across NBC, USA Network, E!, Telemundo, CNBC

Streaming: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com 

The final two USA Basketball Showcase exhibition games will take place at The O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom. The arena will also welcome the women’s national team on July 23 for an exhibition game against Germany.

The star-studded U.S. squad is essentially an NBA all-star team, and includes a trio (Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White) from the championship-winning Boston Celtics.

Veterans like LeBron James and Steph Curry seem locked in as starters for head coach Steve Kerr, while Tatum made this past season’s All-NBA First Team. Center Anthony Davis, forward Kevin Durant, and guard Anthony Edwards all made the Second Team, and each has the ability to take over any game they’re in.

Joel Embiid, despite some worries over his conditioning, may end up being critical, as he’s the lone seven-footer on the roster for an Olympic games that may be all about dominating in the paint.

Even in Bol Bol’s absence, who cited personal reasons for withdrawing from the South Sudan roster on Friday, a win over Great Britain in London underlines that there are still some strong players ready to play for head coach Royal Ivey (who moonlights as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets).

Guard Carlik Jones and small forward Marial Shayok starred in that win over Team GB, with Shayok leading South Sudan with 27 points thanks in part to going 4-for-6 from three-point range. Jones chipped in 13 points and a game-best eight assists.

Nebraska-born JT Thor didn’t participate in that warm-up game, but with Bol’s withdrawal, the Phoenix Suns power forward is South Sudan’s lone player on an NBA roster.

The schedule is according to NBCOlympics.com and is subject to change.

Group Stage

  • July 28: USA vs. Serbia at 11:15 a.m. ET on NBC
  • July 31: USA vs. South Sudan at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network
  • Aug. 3: USA vs. Puerto Rico at 11:15 a.m. ET on NBC

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Gold/Bronze Medal games

On the women’s side, action begins on July 29 with an exhibition taking place on July 23.

  • July 23 – United States vs. Germany: 3 p.m. ET on FS1 (exhibition)
  • July 29 – Women’s Group Phase, Group C: United States vs. Japan: 1 p.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.
  • August 1 – Women’s Group Phase, Group C: Belgium vs. United States: 3 p.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.
  • August 4 – Women’s Group Phase, Group C: Germany vs. United States: 11:15 a.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.
  • August 7 – Women’s Quarterfinals: Games start between 5 a.m. ET – 3:30 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.
  • August 9 – Women’s Semifinal: 11:30 p.m. ET or 3 p.m. on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.
  • August 11 – Women’s Bronze Medal Game: 5:30 a.m. ET on USA Network, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.
  • August 11 – Women’s Gold Medal Game: 9:30 a.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.

The men’s Olympic basketball team has 19 medals, including 16 gold medals. The most recent coming in the 2020 Olympic Games.

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