Stephen Curry delivered a heroic performance for Team USA on Thursday night in Paris, rallying the team from a 17-point deficit to defeat Serbia 95-91 in the Olympic semifinals. With this victory, the United States secured a place in the gold medal game, where they will aim to claim their fifth consecutive Olympic title on Saturday.
Stephen Curry scored an Olympic career-high 36 points, including nine 3-pointers, the most ever made by a player in a single Olympic game.
Curry made his impact felt from the start, scoring 14 of the United States’ first 15 points. By the end of the first quarter, he had already reached his career-high in scoring. However, his teammates struggled early on, shooting just 1-of-8 from the field in the opening 10 minutes.
Serbia capitalized on Team USA’s slow start, building an 11-point lead by halftime and maintaining a double-digit advantage well into the fourth quarter, despite multiple attempts by the Americans to close the gap.
The momentum shifted when Joel Embiid ignited a critical 7-0 run for Team USA. A key blocked shot by Embiid led to a drive from LeBron James, which tied the game. Curry then nailed his ninth 3-pointer of the night, followed by layups from both Curry and James, giving the United States a seven-point lead—their largest of the game—securing the four-point victory.
Embiid contributed 19 points and four rebounds, shooting 8-of-11 from the field. James recorded a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. These three—Curry, Embiid, and James—were the only American players to score in double figures.
For Serbia, Bogdan Bogdanovic led with 20 points, while Nikola Jokić added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Aleksa Avramovic contributed 15 points. The loss relegated Serbia to the bronze medal game against Germany on Saturday.
In the other semifinal, France defeated Germany 73-69 to advance to the gold medal game. Guerschon Yabusele led France with 17 points, while San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama added 11 points and seven rebounds. France will face Team USA in the final, marking a rematch of the Tokyo Olympics, where the United States emerged victorious to win their fourth straight gold.