In their final match before the Olympics, Team USA will look to bounce back against Germany after nearly being upset by South Sudan.
It took everything the United States had but somehow they were able to pull out a 101-100 victory over South Sudan – a nation whose best player is Marial Shayok, whose NBA career consisted of four games with the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2020 when he averaged 2.8 points per game. Shayok was the game’s highest-scorer (24). He had more points than LeBron James (23), Stephen Curry (12), and Anthony Davis (15). How does that happen?
On the bright side, this wake-up call could be exactly what the United States needed heading into the Olympics. That close win showed the team that they aren’t untouchable.
Despite having by far the most talented roster in Paris, a few slip-ups here and there against other strong teams could get out of hand quickly and cost the United States another gold medal. Hopefully, that game will motivate Team USA to never take their foot off the gas. We’ll see whether or not they take that lesson to heart in their game against Germany.
Led by NBA talents Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder, Germany has much more firepower than South Sudan. Another similar performance from Team USA tonight would surely lead to defeat. This game will be a great precursor to understanding what we should expect from the United States when they start Olympic play on July 28.
