London, United Kingdom (PSF) — The United States Men’s Olympic Basketball Team survived their first big scare on Saturday afternoon.

In a fierce battle with the well-coached and well-prepared South Sudan Team, the United States was pushed to the brink of defeat, just barely outlasting South Sudan until the very last possession — a missed layup by former NBA guard Carlik Jones, who had an impressive triple-double (15 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists), which kept the score at 101-100.

LeBron James, America’s Hero on Saturday (and every day for many NBA Fans), willed the USA to the victory with his game-winning layup on the USA’s last offensive possession, slicing through the paint to give the United States a 101-100 lead with about 8 seconds left.

The United States quickly found themselves in a significant deficit, trailing 44-58 at halftime, and struggling severely from behind the arc. South Sudan outscored them 32-20 in the Second Quarter and played suffocating defense throughout the first half.

Center Joel Embiid garnered a large portion of that attention, instantly attracting double, and even triple teams at the beginning of possessions, leading to a handful of turnovers. Embiid still was productive, finishing with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists on 5-6 shooting, however, Head Coach Steve Kerr had Lakers’ Center Anthony Davis as his big man in closing lineups instead of the starter Embiid.

Davis (15 PTS), and Timberwolves Star Anthony Edwards (11 PTS) lead the bench scoring, while 2024 NBA Champion Jayson Tatum contributed 9 points. Newcomer Derrick White did not score, but played good defense and dished out 5 assists in his 11 minutes.

Stephen Curry totaled 12 points, starting backcourt mate Jrue Holiday chipped in 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, and the star of the show Lebron James scored a team-high 23 points, along with 6 rebounds, 6 assists, with an efficient 10-14 shooting day.

Head Coach Steve Kerr shouldered the brunt of the blame for the near loss, attributing the close game to the United States’ lack of preparedness and their underestimation of South Sudan’s capabilities.

Fans of USA Basketball have pointed out Kerr’s ineffective lineups, questionable tendencies when subbing players in and out, and not making the proper adjustments in-game when necessary. The talent is there — after all, these are the NBA’s best of the best. However, when the talent is mismanaged, and they are not properly prepared for each opponent, that falls on the coach first and foremost. If the United States is going to earn the Gold, they need Kerr to be better, in all of the ways previously mentioned.

South Sudan, led by current and former NBA players such as Marial Shayok (24 points), Carlik Jones (triple-double), JT Thor (14 points), and Duke Commit and future NBA Player Khaman Malauch (7 points, 4 rebounds), came mere seconds — and a missed layup away from pulling off what would have been one of the most notable upsets in International Basketball history.

Led by former NBA player Royal Ivey as their head coach, South Sudan shot out of the gate and took command of the momentum, looking like the more cohesive, prepared, and focused team. They played with clear chemistry and communication on offense and defense, showing effective off-ball movement, impressive defensive rotations, and well-executed shotmaking.

No shotmaking was more impressive than JT Thor’s go-ahead jumper in the final quarter, which put South Sudan ahead 100-99.

South Sudan pushed the United States to their limit in an impressive fashion. Although the United States survived the bout, South Sudan’s impressive play has put the world on notice. They may surprise a lot of people when the Olympics start this week.

The United States and South Sudan will face each other again on July 31st, and this time, it will be as part of Group C in the Olympics. That will surely be a game to watch, considering how this matchup played out.