Bench unit helps USA defeat South Sudan in Olympic men's basketball

The USA beat South Sudan 103-86 in their second men's basketball group stage game at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics on Wednesday, securing their second straight win and booking a place in the quarterfinals.

USA head coach Steve Kerr didn't play Joel Embiid, who struggled to contribute much in their 110-84 win over Serbia on July 28, against South Sudan and replaced him with Anthony Davis. But Davis and three other starters – Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum – still finished the contest with negative ratings.

By contrast, Bam Adebayo, Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards all came off the bench to contribute positive ratings. The American backup unit outscored their South Sudanese counterparts 66-14, including a team-high 18 points from Adebayo, who shot 8-for-10 from the field.

"I just think Steve trusts us," Adebayo said after the game. "I feel like he looks at the benches, that spark, to come off the bench and really give us a boost, and we did that tonight."

The USA's bench understandably played better than their starting lineup because the team's biggest weapons – defensive aggression, speed and transitional offense – were with them in Adebayo, Durant and Edwards. When Durant was sent onto the court, his side led 12-10. Then they reeled off a 16-4 run in three minutes, building a safe enough lead to win.

"We have an embarrassment of riches on this roster, that's the best way to put it," Kerr said. "I mean these guys are all champions, All-Stars, Hall of Famers, however you want to put it. So the whole thing is are we committed to the goal? That's it."

Nuni Omot made eight of his 12 shots from the floor on the way to a game-high 24 points for South Sudan. The team's larger-than-average size, athleticism and quick defensive rotations slowed the USA down during half-court play, but the African side also paid the price for their rough ball movement by allowing too many fastbreaks by their opponents.