National Basketball Association

USA men's basketball team rallies to beat Serbia to advance to gold medal game

Published Aug. 8, 2024 5:05 p.m. ET

They scored six points in two seconds. And just like that, against what looked like overwhelming odds, the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team was on its way.

To a comeback. To a win. And to another Olympic gold medal game.

Stephen Curry scored 36 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:16 left, and the U.S. will play for gold in the Paris Olympics on Saturday night after beating Serbia 95-91. The U.S. trailed by 17 points in the first half, plus faced an 11-point halftime deficit — the biggest one successfully overcome by an American team since NBA players were added to the Olympic mix in 1992.

Serbia led by 11 with 7:19 left as well. The rest of the way, all U.S.

It'll be the U.S. against host France for gold on Saturday night, while Serbia will face Germany earlier Saturday for bronze.

The whole game changed in the fourth after a wild sequence saw the U.S. score six points in two seconds. Kevin Durant made a 3-pointer while Anthony Davis was getting fouled. The U.S. got another possession, and off the inbounds, Devin Booker made another 3-pointer.

Just like that, a 78-67 lead for Serbia was down to 78-73. The comeback was on, and Curry's 3 put the U.S. up for good. He added a pair of free throws with 8.2 seconds left to make it a two-possession game and the Americans escaped.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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