After a quiet Olympic campaign by his elite standards, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry has burst to life to lift Team USA to a huge 95-91 win over Serbia in their Semi-Final matchup on Thursday.
Entering as heavy favorites following four dominant victories, Team USA found themselves in significant danger when Serbia led by 15 just seconds before the end of the third-quarter.
Curry was already in the midst of his best Olympic game with 27 points through the first three periods, but more importantly he ensured his team would make it through to the Gold Medal game after an almighty scare.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry has delivered a breakout Olympic performance with a game-high 36 points against Serbia
Still trailing by 11 with just over seven minutes remaining, Team USA whittled down the margin until Curry's huge go-ahead three-pointer with just over two minutes left. Not done there, the 36-year-old manufactured a steal and layup just 40 seconds later, while his two clutch free-throws in the final 10 seconds cemented his team's place through to the Final.
In his first Olympic campaign, Curry had only recorded 29 total points through the first four games, prompting critics to question his role and impact within the star-studded USA team. But any doubters were emphatically silenced on Thursday, with Curry's 36 points and nine three-pointers a legacy-defining game on the international stage.
"This will forever go down as the Steph Curry game." 🇺🇸
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2024
The chef was COOKING in Team USA's comeback. 👨🍳 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/cRcdiJXM0L
The 2x MVP finished 12-of-19 shooting from the floor and a remarkable 9-of-14 from beyond the arc, while he also added eight rebounds, two assists and a steal in 33 minutes. It wasn't just about the individual performance, but more so about the context within a game where his country was on the brink of disaster.
3x NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had 17 points, five rebounds and 11 assists, but it was Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic who led Serbia with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists in a game they once led by 17.
After often sharing the scoring load throughout the Olympics to date, the enormity of the game saw the veteran superstars take over for Team USA. Curry (36), Joel Embiid (19), LeBron James (16) and Kevin Durant (9) combined for 80 of their team's 95 points, while Steve Kerr's rotation saw Jayson Tatum once again out of the mix and only six players see more than 13 minutes.
Team USA will now take on France in the battle for Gold after the hosts sensationally knocked out World Champions Germany in a 73-69 thriller earlier on Thursday.