LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and company have cruised through their first two matchups at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, and pool play wraps up Saturday with a matchup against Puerto Rico.
In Team USA’s last outing, Bam Adebayo led the team in scoring off the bench with 18 points, pacing six Americans in double figures in a 103-86 win over South Sudan, which secured a spot in the quarterfinals for the U.S men’s basketball team. Every Team USA player that played in the game scored. The only player who didn’t play was Joel Embiid.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado is the most well known NBA name on the Puerto Rican squad, which enters the matchup 0-2 in pool play and was eliminated from the knockout stage. He averaged 7.1 points and 2.3 rebounds for New Orleans last season. Several other players have had brief stints in the league for Puerto Rico, including Tremont Waters, Aleem Ford and Gian Clavell.
Date: Saturday, August 3
Time: 11:15 a.m. ET/ 8:15 a.m. PT
Where: Pierre Mauroy Stadium | Lille, France
TV channel: USA Network
Streaming: Fubo, Peacock
Yahoo Sports has you covered for the U.S. men’s basketball team’s entire run at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Keep up with Saturday’s game with live updates and highlights below.
In the game’s final seconds, Joel Embiid held the ball at the top of the 3-point arc with his hand to his ear, calling for cheers from the French fans that had booed him earlier in the Olympics tournament.
Joel Embiid egging on the France crowd is awesome pic.twitter.com/v8z45Cfg9x
Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) August 3, 2024
George Conditt IV attempted to steal the ball away from Embiid as he hammed it up, but couldn’t get the turnover. Embiid took and missed a long 3 to cap off the play.
Final: USA 104, Puerto Rico 83.
Anthony Edwards hits a three. He is on fire and has 26 points.
ANT EDWARDS pic.twitter.com/2wOYpXSrJK
J (@SixersJustin) August 3, 2024
As Dwyane Wade put it, “givin’ ’em everything.”
Anthony Edwards looked like the No. 1 option on this steal, breakaway and windmill dunk to put Team USA up 8962 in the 4th quarter.
anthony edwards steal and windmill slam pic.twitter.com/k0U2pqicsc
who is @goaltend (@2MANYBRIDGES) August 3, 2024
Dwyane Wade, Noah Eagle and Kerith Burke are currently discussing which Olympic sport they’d like to compete in, playing off U.S. basketball players saying which other sport they would play. (Tyrese Haliburton said swimming, even though he doesn’t swim.) In case you were wondering where this game is at in terms of competitiveness right now…
LeBron James with another breakaway dunk. He looks like Team USA’s best player on the floor today. 10 points, eight assists and five rebounds thus far.
LEBRON WITH THE BLOCK ON ONE END AND THE DUNK ON THE OTHER pic.twitter.com/EueIB0Fubk
BronMuse (@BronMuse) August 3, 2024
Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander watching USA-Puerto Rico with Mike Tirico for NBC:
SGA on Team USA:”They play to their strengths. They’re obviously very talented, very deep. You almost have to make no mistakes and play a perfect game when you play against them… As far as Canada, we’ll be ready for whoever we see”pic.twitter.com/HdSPfiCSlt
Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) August 3, 2024
Team USA men’s basketball fans can probably relax now after some early tension. The U.S. outscored Puerto Rico 3416 and have taken control of the game going to halftime.
LeBron James ended the USA’s scoring with an easy dunk on a long outlet pass from Jayson Tatum.
LEBRON. JAMES. #OlympicGames | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/ZD4LO4igby
Her Şey NBA (@herseynba) August 3, 2024
LeBron has eight points, four rebounds and six assists. Tatum, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant also have eight. Anthony Edwards leads the U.S. with 12 points.
Jose Alvarado has a game-high 13 points for Puerto Rico. Tremont Waters scored eight.
After an early scare with Puerto Rico leading after the 1st quarter, Team USA has settled down and asserted itself.
LeBron James is controlling the action with both scoring and passing. He has six rebounds and four assists to go with his six points.
INSANE PASS BY LEBRON pic.twitter.com/sDEsjq9bRF
BronMuse (@BronMuse) August 3, 2024
Anthony Edwards leads the U.S. in scoring thus far with 12 points off the bench.
Puerto Rico is up 29-25 after the first quarter.
Jose Alvarado wasting no time!9 PTS, 2 AST, 2 3PM in the 1Q for Puerto Rico NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/IxfjB1u6Xc
NBA (@NBA) August 3, 2024
#USABMNT Starting ️ vs Puerto Rico NBC + Peacock#Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/jZmNtRNrko
USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 3, 2024