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USA basketball highlights: American men crush Brazil to reach Olympic semifinals

jeff zillgitt, usa today
·9 min read

Editor's note: Follow live updates as the U.S. women's basketball team plays Nigeria in the quarterfinal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

PARIS – If U.S. men’s basketball coach Steve Kerr hammered home his points of emphasis against Brazil to reporters, imagine what he told his team ahead of Tuesday’s quarterfinals matchup.

Defend and rebound, and the rest will take care of itself, Kerr said in a variety of ways after the U.S. completed group play and advanced to the knockout stage.

His players listened.

The U.S. did exactly that on its way to a 122-87 victory against Brazil, advancing to Thursday’s semifinals where it will face Serbia. The winner will play the winner of France-Germany for the gold medal.

The U.S. outrebounded Brazil when it mattered, held Brazil to 42% shooting and relied on its offensive firepower to put up points.

Devin Booker led the U.S. with 18 points, and Joel Embiid finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Kevin Durant scored 11 points, and LeBron James added 12 points, nine assists and three steals. Anthony Davis contributed 13 points and eight rebounds. The U.S. shot 58% from the field and 48% on 3-pointers.

"I love how we're defending and talking," Durant said. "I love how the first unit got us going tonight. Started us off well, and second unit came in and tried to feed off of that. Teams are going to make runs against us, that's just the nature of the game, but I like how we stayed poised throughout it all."

Bruno Caboclo scored a game-high 30 points for Brazil.

"It starts with the defensive end," James said. "We understand that in order for us to lock down in this tournament it starts on the defensive end and then offensively we've got to continue to help each other spread the ball out and be in a great rhythm."

Serbia and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic are familiar opponents. Serbia came back from a 24-point deficit to beat Australia in one of the other quarterfinal games.

The U.S. beat Serbia 105-79 in an exhibition game July in Abu Dhabi, and topped Serbia 110-84 in a Group C Olympics game July 28.

“Serbia is really good," Kerr said. "We can't get lulled to sleep because we beat them twice. We have to be prepared for their best effort. We've got to think about, 'What are they going to do differently?'

"Every game is so different and unique. You never know when the ball's going in, when it's not going in. We have to be prepared."

Here's how Tuesday's game unfolded:

Fourth quarter starts: USA up 94-71

PARIS — The U.S. maintained its lead and headed into the fourth quarter with a 94-71 lead against Brazil. Devin Booker connected on a three 3-pointers in the third quarter, Anthony Davis had a monster slam on a putback dunk and the U.S. is 10 minutes from reaching the semifinals and a rematch against Serbia.

The one item of interest: LeBron James (12 points, nine assists, three steals) took an accidental elbow to the left eye from Brazil’s Georginho De Paula. James looked OK as he held a cloth to the area but then went to the locker room with about three minutes left in the third quarter.

Booker leads the U.S. with 18 points, and Joel Embiid has 14 points and seven rebounds. Anthony Davis has 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals.

Bruno Caboclo has a game-high 24 points for Brazil.

LeBron James gets elbowed in third quarter

PARIS — LeBron James took a left elbow to the eye from Brazil’s Georginho De Paula with 5:41 left in the third quarter and the U.S. leading 74-51. It happened on a De Paula putback.

James at first held a towel to the eye and checked out of the game. He continued to hold a cloth on the area and then appeared to head to the locker room with about three minutes left in the third quarter.

James didn't play again against Brazil but said after the game that he is fine.

Halftime: USA 63, Brazil 36

PARIS — Joel Embiid hears the boos from the French fans. It doesn’t bother him. Or at least it didn’t in the first half of the U.S. quarterfinals game against Brazil.

Embiid scored a team-high 14 points and had seven rebounds as the U.S. took a 63-36 lead into halftime against Brazil.

Brazil had a trimmed a 19-point deficit to 42-34, but the U.S. the half on a 21-4 run. LeBron James had 10 points and eight assists, and his final assist of the half came on an out-of-bounds alley-oop to Jayson Tatum just before the buzzer. Devin Booker had nine points for the U.S. which had 11 of its 12 players who played in the first half score points.

The U.S. shot 59% from the field and 50% on 3-pointers and held Brazil to 34% from the field and 29% on 3-pointers. The U.S. also limited Brazil’s offensive rebounds to four, and it entered the game as the best offensive rebounding team in the tournament at 13 per game.

Right now, it’s too many defenders, rebounders and scorers for Brazil to handle.

Brazil puts together second-quarter rally

PARIS — Brazil gets back into the game on a 13-2 run that included three made 3-pointers and a three-point play. Brazil trails 42-34 after falling behind 40-21.

USA basketball dominates first quarter vs. Brazil

PARIS – Hot shooting, active defense and commitment to rebounding gave the U.S. a 33-21 lead over Brazil after the first quarter of the quarterfinals matchup.

All five U.S. starters scored, led by Devin Booker’s nine points and Joel Embiid’s eight points, and LeBron James had four points and five assists in the first quarter. The U.S. made 11 of its first 14 shots and shot 62% in the opening quarter. Booker made a four-point play, giving the U.S. an early 26-14 lead.

U.S. coach Steve Kerr was concerned about Brazil’s offensive rebounding, and the U.S. limited Brazil to three offensive rebounds while collecting 12 defensive rebounds.

Brazil shot 36% from the field in the first quarter, including 29% on 3s.

USA basketball off to early lead vs. Brazil

PARIS – LeBron James has assisted on four of the seven made U.S. shots, and all five U.S. starters have made at least one basket as the U.S. jumped to a quick 16-6 lead four minutes into the first quarter.

Joel Embiid keeps getting booed by fans in France

PARIS – As the quarterfinal begins, French fans continue to boo U.S. center Joel Embiid, who could’ve played for France, whenever he touches the basketball.

“I've always loved it,” Embiid said after a Group C victory against Puerto Rico. “A lot of people think it's hate; I see it as love and respect. If I wasn't an OK basketball player, I wouldn't receive that type of treatment. I see myself as being blessed. I've seen worse. I've played in worse environments, both Gardens (New York and Boston), so it's nothing that I haven't seen before.”

USA basketball lineup vs. Brazil

United States

  • Stephen Curry

  • LeBron James

  • Jrue Holiday

  • Devin Booker

  • Joel Embiid

Brazil

  • Marcelinho Huertas

  • Gui Santos

  • Leo Meindl

  • Raul Neto

  • Bruno Caboclo

Snoop Dogg and A'Ja Wilson in the house for USA vs Brazil

Snoop Dogg has arrived for his NBC prime time hit inside, where the network has taken over the museum and turned it into its on-camera headquarters from these Games.

Martha Stewart is waiting inside. Snoop greeted his friend and he described to her Noah Lyles’ photo finish, which happened an hour beforehand. Snoop saw it in person. He’s been everywhere and anywhere, with everyone and anyone, during his time at these Games as a correspondent extraordinaire. He hasn’t been sleeping as much as he has been relaxing. – Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY

USA vs. Brazil basketball prediction

Brazil is on the edge of medal contention in men’s basketball, but it hasn’t medaled since winning bronze in 1964. It finished ninth at the 2016 Rio Olympics and fifth at the 2012 London Olympics but did not qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

Brazil, 1-2 in the Olympics with losses to France and Germany and a victory against Japan in group play, has a changing national team. No Anderson Varejao, no Nene, no Leandro Barbosa. But Marcelinho Huertas is still going strong at 41 years old. And this team is led by Vitor Benite (14.3 points per game), Bruno Caboclo (13 points, 7.3 rebounds per game), Raul Neto (8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds) and Leo Meindl (9.7 points, 6.3 rebounds per game). In group play, Brazil shot 45.3% on 3-pointers and made 17-of-28 3s against Japan. Brazil will hit the offensive glass and shoot 3s.

However, the talent and depth of the U.S. (3-0) will prevail.

Prediction: USA 101, Brazil 85

USA men's basketball Paris Olympics schedule

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA basketball Olympics highlights: US crushes Brazil to reach semis