The U.S. men’s basketball team put on a stellar performance against Brazil, racking up a decisive 122-87 victory in their quarterfinal game on Tuesday. With six players scoring in double digits, the team delivered its strongest showing thus far in the tournament.
Read more: USA Men’s Basketball Dominates Brazil, Advances to Paris Olympics Semifinal
Next up for the U.S. is a semifinal clash with Serbia on Thursday. This will be their third encounter in just three weeks, following two previous meetings in both exhibition and pool play, where the U.S. came out on top in both—105-79 and 110-84, respectively.
To secure a spot in the gold medal game for the fifth consecutive Olympics, the United States must conquer Serbia once again. They have successfully clinched gold in the last four men’s basketball tournaments, only settling for bronze back in 2004.
Despite the triumph over Brazil, the game wasn’t without its challenges. Superstar LeBron James took an inadvertent elbow to the face and had to exit for evaluation.
During the third quarter, after a missed pass, Brazil’s Georginho de Paula made contact with James, resulting in a cut that required him to head to the locker room. While he returned to the bench, he did not re-enter the game due to the significant lead the U.S. held. Concerns arose regarding James’ injury, but he remained upbeat post-game.
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Speaking to Marc J. Spears of Andscape after the match, James assured fans, “I’m OK. I just got hit with an inadvertent elbow.” Team USA’s head coach Steve Kerr confirmed that James received four stitches as a result of the injury.
The good news is that James is expected to be ready for the semifinal against Serbia. He has been instrumental to the team’s success, averaging 13.8 points, 7.8 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, while boasting an impressive shooting percentage of 67.6% from the field.
Since the injury did not affect his eyes or nose, it’s likely he won’t need to wear protective gear for Thursday’s important game.