Team USA Basketball Narrowly Defeats Serbia in Nail-Biter to Advance to Olympic Gold Medal Game

Mar. 15, 2025

LeBron James of Team USA shoots a free throw during men’s basketball semifinals in Paris.Photo:Gregory Shamus/Getty

Gregory Shamus/Getty

Team USA men’s basketball is one win away from another gold medal.

The U.S. men’s team brought major star power to Bercy Arena, includingSue Bird and Megan Rapinoe,Travis Scott,QuavoandGabrielle Union. Bronny and Bryce James also came out to support their dad and Team USA in the semifinal.

The U.S. will play France (who defeated Germany 73-69 in a thrilling game just before the Americans played their semifinal) in the gold medal game on Saturday, Aug. 10.

Curry, 36, got things started with a string of three-pointers that put the crowd on its feet. He put an exclamation point on their remarkable comeback with a steal-and-score bucket in the last two minutes.

The momentum shifted in favor of the U.S. when 39-year-old James led the group and scrappily removed a double-digit deficit late in the fourth quarter.

The Los Angeles Lakers star wassporting a bandage above his eyein the semifinal round after the taking an “inadvertent elbow” to the eye in their quarterfinal game against Brazil.

LeBron James.Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty

Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty

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Thehighest-scoring NBA player of all-timeinitially told reporters, including PEOPLE, that he was “okay” after the game on Aug. 6, but Team USA head coach Steve Kerr later revealed that James received four stitches in the locker room before returning to the team bench, according toBleacher Report.

James debuted the bandage on Aug. 7. when he and his wife Savannah James supported the U.S. women’s basketball team in theirquarterfinal win against Nigeria.

LeBron James and wife, Savannah James, look on during a Women’s basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris Olympics.Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

The men’s quarterfinal victory also saw Durant, 35, break basketball great Lisa Leslie’s Team USA all-time Olympic scoring record.

“Records are meant to be broken, so somebody will come along and do the same,” Durant told reporters after the game, perOlympics.com. “We’re just focused on trying to win this gold,” he added.

James told the Olympic website after Durant set the record that the Phoenix Suns forward “was born to play ball” and called him “simply incredible,” adding, “I’m happy for him, congratulations to him, super proud of him and he has got more to go.”

source: people.com