The United States men's national basketball team found itself in another nail-biter in its final tuneup ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics against Germany, and LeBron James saved Team USA from being upset again.
James scored 11 points in the final four minutes to lift the Americans to a 92-88 victory on Monday. The NBA's all-time leading scorer's first points in that stretch came with just under four minutes left, making a dunk on a cutting play to give USA an 83-82 edge. He got a steal on the following possession and turned it into two points to extend its lead to 85-82.
After getting fouled on a defensive rebound with just over three minutes left, James made a pair of free throws to put the Americans up by five. Germany scored four straight points, giving the USA a one-point edge with 1:43 left.
But James stepped up one more time. He drained a 3-pointer that gave the USA a 90-86 lead with 1:26 remaining. The United States got a stop on the ensuing German possession before James drove into the lane for his final two points of the night, giving the Americans a 92-86 lead with 45 seconds left. Germany didn't score again until there was just a second left on the clock.
James' 11-point outburst in the game's final four minutes was enough to make him the game's leading scorer with 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting from the field. He added six rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block in the exhibition effort.
The strong performance from James capped off a noteworthy day for the NBA legend. He was named the male flagbearer for Team USA at Friday's Opening Ceremony, becoming the first United States men's basketball player to earn that honor.
The United States closed out its exhibition slate 5-0, but Monday was the second straight contest that it needed a full 40-minute effort to win. It defeated South Sudan by one point on Saturday, narrowly avoiding one of the biggest upsets in basketball history.
Still, Team USA is highly favored to win the gold medal in men's basketball at the Summer Olympics. It begins its Olympic quest on Sunday, taking on Serbia in group play. The USA defeated Serbia, 105-79, in an exhibition game last Wednesday.
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