VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — The “Lille Olympics” are over for Crew USA and went principally in keeping with plan.
A couple of defensive hiccups right here, a minor harm there, oh, and a bus experience or two as a result of somebody lit the practice monitor on hearth final weekend, disrupting group plans for trains between Paris and Lille, which is on the Belgian border.
However in any other case, the American group of stars is strictly the place it deliberate to be because the event shifts to Paris for the knockout rounds, with full steam forward towards a fifth consecutive gold medal.
Crew USA beat Puerto Rico 104-83 behind 26 factors from Anthony Edwards on Saturday to complete 3-0 in pool play and because the No. 1 general seed for the Olympic quarterfinals.
The U.S. emerged from pool play No. 1 general as a result of a 64-plus level differential over the three video games and can play Brazil in an Olympic quarterfinal Tuesday at Accor Enviornment — the place the NBA sometimes performs when it has video games in Paris.
“I imply, primary, it’s been actually enjoyable to be in Lille — it’s an exquisite place,” Crew USA coach Steve Kerr stated. “I feel we acquired achieved what we needed to perform, profitable all three video games and securing the highest seed. We all know we’ve to play higher. A part of this event is it will get more durable as you go, after all. And our aim is simply to attempt to get higher every sport and we’ll have tomorrow off after which a one-week dash, three video games. So we’ll see how we do.”
Brazil went 1-2, shedding by double digits to each France and Germany however connecting on 17 3s in an 18-point win over Japan to advance to the quarterfinals. The Germans and Canadians additionally went 3-0 in pool play and Germany is ranked second behind the U.S.
“We’ve seen virtually everyone. We haven’t seen Brazil although,” Kerr stated. “Brazil is our focus.”
The primary portion of the boys’s and ladies’s tournaments have been moved to an out of doors soccer stadium with a retractable roof, simply exterior of Lille, primarily so gymnastics might happen in Accor Enviornment. The U.S. stayed and practiced in Paris however traveled to Lille the evening earlier than every of the three video games, which additionally included comfy wins over Serbia and South Sudan.
Edwards, Crew USA’s youngest participant at age 22, got here off the bench to shoot 11 of 15 with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. The main scorer for the Individuals final summer time on the World Cup, Edwards dazzled with an array of drives to the rim, mid-range jumpers and three 3s. His coolest play was a tap-away steal and windmill slam with about 9 minutes left and the Individuals up by 25.
Anthony Edwards breaks out the WINDMILL in Paris! 🔥 #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/FdFYNz5eXr
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
“I needed to go between the legs (within the air for a dunk), however I ain’t tried it in a minute so I didn’t need to embarrass myself,” Edwards stated. “I need to dunk on anyone, however I ain’t acquired a lane but. I’m glad I acquired that one.”
LeBron James, as standard for this event, handed in an entire efficiency with 10 factors, eight assists and 6 rebounds in simply 18 minutes. Kevin Durant scored 11 factors and nonetheless wants 4 extra to turn out to be USA Basketball’s all-time main scorer on the Olympics for each the boys’s and ladies’s applications, forward of Lisa Leslie (488 profession factors).
Edwards’ domination within the second half (he scored 14 factors from late within the third to the center of the fourth quarter, with Durant on the court docket) had one thing to do with Durant falling simply in need of passing Leslie.
Joel Embiid returned to the U.S. beginning lineup after sitting out towards South Sudan. He scored 15 factors with three boards in almost 23 minutes. In a confounding twist, the French crowd continued to boo him every time he touched the ball, however the crowd at giant erupted in applause when he scored or blocked a shot. There have been American followers within the constructing, positive, however the applause was so loud, that not less than a number of the individuals booing him for selecting Crew USA over France for the Olympics additionally needed to be cheering when he scored.
“I feel that’s all you are able to do is snort about it and he’s achieved a very good job simply making mild of it,” Kerr stated. “And his teammates, clearly, have his again, nevertheless it’s all a part of it. I’m positive he knew this was coming and what I favored is that after the French followers would boo, you may hear the American followers cheer and so everyone appears to be having some enjoyable with it.”
With the U.S. forward by an insurmountable quantity and the clock winding down, Embiid held the ball to expire the clock and was hit with one other refrain of boos. He caught his hand to his ear, as if he needed the boos to develop louder. During the last two video games, Embiid’s U.S. teammates have joined him in taunting the group in response to the boos.
“I adore it,” Edwards stated. “I don’t get what’s occurring, so I’m all for it.”
Jrue Vacation didn’t play as a result of an ankle harm suffered in Wednesday’s win; Kerr stated Vacation will play towards Brazil and will have participated Saturday. Jayson Tatum began for Vacation and completed with 10 factors.
Jose Alvarado of the New Orleans Pelicans, the one NBA participant on the Puerto Rican roster, led his group with 18 factors. The Puerto Ricans outrebounded Crew USA, 51-48, regardless of a definite dimension and talent drawback within the submit. By American requirements, the 11 turnovers the U.S. dedicated weren’t dangerous, however giving up 18 offensive rebounds to Puerto Rico is one thing to wash up earlier than Tuesday.
Practically 20 years in the past to the day (12 days shy of the anniversary, if we’re counting), Puerto Rico opened the 2004 Olympics by pulling one of many largest worldwide upsets in historical past, defeating the Individuals by 19 factors. It was the primary loss by a Crew USA squad with NBA gamers.
And for about 17 minutes within the first half, a touch of chance that one other large upset wafted within the air. Alvarado scored 9 factors within the first quarter and the Puerto Ricans led by as many as eight. It was a 46-43 sport with 3:15 left earlier than halftime when James threw a blinding behind-the-back cross to Embiid for a layup. That play sparked an 18-2 run to shut the half for the Individuals, who carried a 64-45 lead into the break.
James, 39, had six factors and three assists in the course of the run.
It was ALL Crew USA within the first half towards Puerto Rico. 💪 #ParisOlympics
📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/E2IOR4x55x
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2024
“I feel we’re in a very good place,” James stated. “We are able to all the time get off to a greater begin to begin video games, however groups are very excited to go towards us and it’s not a feel-out, however we might do a greater job beginning the video games. Giving up (29) within the first quarter right now, we didn’t like that and we acquired higher from that second on although.”
Whereas Durant is searching for what could be an Olympic file 4 gold medals in males’s basketball, James can get his third gold with three extra wins. He was on the group that misplaced to Puerto Rico 20 years in the past, co-captained the Redeem Crew 4 years later with Kobe Bryant and was a part of the 2012 group that dominated in London.
This summer time, counting 5 exhibition video games and three Olympic contests, James leads the group in scoring and assists.
“Possibly the most effective issues about this journey for me has been to see LeBron behind the scenes, see the preparation, see the main target and getting an image for why he’s who he’s,” Kerr stated. “It’s simply wonderful to observe him. He loves the sport a lot. He loves the work, he loves his teammates. There’s an vitality and a pleasure to LeBron that simply, it kind of spreads by way of the locker room.”
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(Picture: Gregory Shamus / Getty Pictures)
