LeBron James leads Team USA to another comeback in 92-88 win against Germany

London, United Kingdom
CNN
—

American Boys basketball The team had a tough 92-88 win over Germany in the run-up to the Olympics, but was forced to come from behind again in the fourth quarter.

Saturday Final victory over South Sudan, united states of america Once again they were forced to fight until the end, this time against a determined German team.

However, some things remain unchanged. LeBron James He played a strong late game at the USA Basketball Showcase, leading Team USA to five wins out of five games.

In front of a packed O2 Arena in southeast London, the United States started well and showed determination to improve on their performance in the previous match.

A crowd of 19,177 fans gathered to watch some of the sport’s greatest stars in action, amongst a colorful display of jerseys from around the world.

And audience members didn’t have to wait long to get out of their seats.

It was none other than “King James” who started the scoring, and he did it as he always does: on a fast break, the four-time MVP threw down a thunderous dunk to get the crowd going.

The highlight reel didn’t end there, as moments later, the crowd witnessed another James dunk, as the Los Angeles Lakers superstar took an alley-oop pass from Boston Celtics guard July Holiday and the crowd rose to its feet again.

With the U.S. leading 29-19 at the end of the first quarter, the game looked like it was going to be a one-sided affair.

Germany tried to fight back in the second quarter, but Team USA finished the quarter strong, with James emphatically blocking a Dennis Schroder layup and then Stephen Curry drilling a 3-pointer at the other end that sent the crowd into a frenzy again, something basketball fans once dreamed of.

So the American newcomers decided to join the party.

Just before the end of the first half, new Team USA member Joel Embiid made a spectacular block before Olympic debutant Anthony Edwards ran down the court, “Ant-Man” leaping into the air and smashing it into the hoop.

The four-time Olympic gold medallists were on a roll and led 48-41 going into the intermission.

After the half-time break, Germany looked determined not to let the first half repeat as they did in the first quarter, and an incredible third quarter saw the Europeans take the lead.

The German fans also seemed to be rejuvenated after the break, cheering every point, rebound and effort from their red-shirted team, creating an enthusiastic atmosphere inside the arena.

Germany outscored the United States 30-20 in the third quarter and led narrowly 71-68 going into the fourth.

But as he has done throughout his career, James stepped up when it mattered.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer poured in 11 points in the fourth quarter to lead his team to the victory and extend his team’s unbeaten streak heading into the match against Paris.

Los Angeles Lakers star James had another stellar performance, scoring a game-high 20 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists.

“LeBron James played pretty well at the end,” Germany coach Gordon Herbert told reporters after the game, summing up the result.

Although the U.S. won, it was far from the classic game of the past, but James noted his team’s improvement that night.

“I felt good tonight, that’s the most important thing,” the Lakers star told reporters after the game. “We played a good German team, they were last year’s world champions, so it was a good test for us.”

“Just like in the recent match against South Sudan, we were able to keep our cool and fight with perseverance. It was a good win for us.”

The United States will be hoping that these improvements continue heading into the Paris Olympics.

The U.S. will open the tournament on July 28 against Serbia before facing South Sudan and Puerto Rico in the remaining group stage matches.

The U.S. men’s team has won gold medals in the past four Olympic Games and is aiming for a fifth consecutive victory in Paris.