Exhale, America. For now.
Click the photo to read more about Team USA's comeback win over Serbia from Dan Wetzel on the ground in Paris:
Medal table | Olympic schedule | How to watch | Olympic news
Stephen Curry saved Team USA on Thursday night in Paris.
The Golden State Warriors star led the United States out of a huge 17-point hole to beat Nikola Jokić and Serbia 95-91 in their semifinals matchup in France. That officially sent the Americans back to the championship game, where they’ll attempt to win a fifth consecutive gold medal on Saturday.
Curry dropped an Olympic career-high 36 points in the win while hitting nine 3-pointers, which is the most any player has hit in a single game throughout the entire Olympics.
Curry went off almost immediately on Thursday, too. He dropped 14 of the first 15 points for the United States and hit his career high not even halfway through the first quarter. He had 17 points at the end of the first period, but the rest of Team USA shot just 1-of-8 from the field combined in the opening 10 minutes.
Serbia took full advantage of that lull, too. They took an 11-point lead at halftime, and kept their double-digit advantage well into the fourth while shutting down every American run.
Finally, it was Joel Embiid that sparked the push Team USA needed. He went on a quick 7-0 run of his own before a blocked shot set up a drive from LeBron James that finally tied the game up.
LEBRON JAMES TIES IT UP FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 👑🇺🇸#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC, USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/B3puaz0kmJ
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
Curry then hit a huge 3-pointer, his ninth of the night, and then he and James each followed up with a layup to suddenly put the United States up by seven, which was its largest lead of the night at the time and enough to eventually push them to the four-point win.
Embiid finished with 19 points and four rebounds while shooting 8-of-11 from the field to go with Curry’s 36-point outing. James had a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. They were the only three players to hit double figures for Team USA.
Bogdan Bogdanovic led Serbia with 20 points in the loss, which sent them into the bronze medal game against Germany on Saturday. Jokić added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Aleksa Avramovic finished with 15 points.
France fended off Germany 73-69 in the other semifinal game on Thursday to earn a spot in the gold medal game. Guerschon Yabusele dropped 17 points to lead France, and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama had 11 points and seven rebounds to lift the French back to the gold medal game for a second consecutive Games. The United States beat France at the Tokyo Olympics to win a fourth straight gold.
Here's the full player stats from Team USA's dramatic victory:
See how the game unfolded below:
Exhale, America. For now.
Click the photo to read more about Team USA's comeback win over Serbia from Dan Wetzel on the ground in Paris:
Team USA definitely has a game on its hands and an uphill climb in the second half. Steph Curry leads the U.S. with 20 points, the only player on the team in double figures. LeBron James has nine.
Aleksa Avramovic has 15 for Serbia, followed by 12 from Bogdan Bogdanovic and nine for Nikola Jokic.
It’s time to get Kevin Durant interested, no? Can’t remember seeing him get a touch
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) August 8, 2024
Big question for the U.S.: Where is Kevin Durant? He has zero points and only took one shot in the first half.
Steph Curry hits another 3 for Team USA to close the margin to 51–40. But Bogdan Bogdanovic responds with a 3 of his own. Serbia 54, USA 40.
Curry has 20 for the U.S., shooting 6-for-9 on 3s.
Serbia answers with a 3 by Aleksa Avramovic to restore its lead to 13, 50–37.
LeBron James hits a three, then gets a steal on the other end of the floor.
That sets up Joel Embiid for a monster dunk past Filip Petrusev to once again cut Serbia's lead to 10 points, 47–37. Embiid has seven points.
joel embiid throws it down pic.twitter.com/HoJmgKPJuh
— who is @goaltend (@2MANYBRIDGES) August 8, 2024
Bogdan Bogdanovic hits a three to stop Team USA's rally. He has 12 points for Serbia, shooting 2-for-3 on his 3s.
The U.S. might be beginning its comeback, scoring seven straight points after a three by Joel Embiid.
Nikola Jokic blocks LeBron James on the defensive end, gets the ball back at the top of the arc in transition, then drives the ball to the basket for a score and a foul.
Jokic makes the free throw to give Serbia a 42–27 lead over USA. He has nine points with six assists
France outlasted Germany, 73–69, in the other men's basketball semifinal. Guerschon Yabusele scored 17 for the winners, with Isaia Cordinier adding 16. Both players had seven rebounds.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA WITH A POSTERIZING DUNK!! 🇫🇷🤯
📺 USA Network and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/WtZJIueo8p— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
Dennis Schroder led Germany with a team-high 18 points, followed by 10 from Franz Wagner.
The host country will face the winner of USA-Serbia in the gold medal game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Brisbane will give prop Martin Taupau and outside back Delouise Hoeter new deals for 2025 as their top 30 for next year's NRL season takes shape.
Lions coach Chris Fagan admits his side fell into the trap of operating conservatively later in the season, pledging to play with freedom in their semi-final.
Port Adelaide forward Todd Marshall has played just once in the past eight weeks, and the pressure will be on him in Friday night's clash with Hawthorn.
Ken Hinkley expects to remain as Port Adelaide coach next season regardless of their semi-final result against Hawthorn this weekend.
Anti-war activists returned to the streets of Melbourne as political leaders slammed their roles in violent scuffles that broke out with police.
McLaren driver Lando Norris will be given priority over his Australian teammate Oscar Piastri in the battle for the Formula One championship.
The Wallaroos will be missing a host of their first-choice players when they take on Ireland in Belfast on Saturday.
Prosecutors have asked for Greg Lynn to be jailed for life for his "cold-blooded and callous" murder of camper Carol Clay, as her family confronted the killer.
Billions of dollars in handouts are at the top of urgent plans to improve Thailand's economy, as new PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra lays out her government's agenda.
Germany are all but through to the Davis Cup Finals in November with Maximilian Marterer and Yannick Hanfmann easing to singles victories over Chile.
The Tasmanian Liberal government's 2024/25 budget has pushed back a projected surplus and forecast net debt to double in four years.
Queensland's premier has made one last parliamentary pitch to voters ahead of October's election.
A groin injury has ruled out talented Bangladesh fast bowler Shoriful Islam from the upcoming two-Test series in India.
Survivors and family of victims of a horror bus crash that killed 10 people are suing a government over alleged failings in the roundabout where it happened.
An Indigenous man taking legal action for being wrongful jailed over a bank robbery says he is fighting for accountability in the justice system for all people.
As the federal government comes under pressure on weakened hate speech laws, fresh penalties will apply for disclosing private information online.
A coroner has found serious flaws around Queensland's voluntary assisted dying safeguards led to a man having access to fatal drugs meant for someone else.
A review has found NSW police officers are not always the right people to respond to mental health crises in the community, sparking calls for urgent action.
A man who stole a gorilla statue from a retirement village in a rented ute while suspended from driving has been given a community corrections order.
Stuart Paul Anderson will spend decades behind bars after a jury found him guilty of murdering a 77-year-old woman in her own home.