Team USA eyes tops seed in Paris Olympics basketball quarterfinals

Team USA’s LeBron James (C) and teammates arrive for the men’s preliminary round group C basketball match between Serbia and USA during the Paris Olympics 2024 at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, northern France, on July 28, 2024. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France— The Team USA men’s basketball team had a 23-point lead over Serbia with seven seconds remaining in its opening contest at the Paris Olympics earlier this week. Had this been the Golden State Warriors with such a lead in the final moments, Stephen Curry would have simply let time expire.

Here, he shot a 3-pointer instead. He wasn’t running up the score. He was playing by Olympic rules.

Point differential is a tiebreaker used in FIBA competitions, including the Olympics, and basically it means the more you win by the better you’ll fare if a tiebreaker is necessary. It already has come into play at the Paris Games as far as which teams will make the quarterfinals, and the U.S. is mindful going into its group-stage finale against Puerto Rico on Saturday that a loss would hurt its seeding for the knockout round.

“In FIBA, point differential is a big thing,” U.S. guard Derrick White said Friday before the team practiced in Paris. “Even in the first two games, we were focusing on not taking the foot off the gas like you do in the NBA sometimes. It’s a little different than what we’re used to, but it’s all part of the tournament.”

Team USA has outscored its first two opponents at the Olympics by 43 points — Serbia by 26, South Sudan by 17. A win on Saturday would finish off a 3-0 showing in group play and almost certainly would guarantee the Americans the No. 1 seed going into Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

How much does that matter?

“A lot,” Team USA coach Steve Kerr said Friday. “We talked to them about it this morning. We showed the standings, we showed the point differential. We want the one seed. It gives you the best matchup in the quarterfinals.”

No matter what happens Saturday, the U.S. will play in the quarterfinals and Puerto Rico’s run at the Paris Olympics will end before the tournament actually shifts to Paris; games in the group phase have been held in Villeneuve-D’Ascq, about 2 1/2 hours by car or an hour by high-speed train north of the Olympic center.

But a win means the Americans almost certainly would face a team in the quarterfinals that went 1-2 in the group phase. A loss, and Team USA would be 2-1 — and probably would see another 2-1 team in a win-or-go-home contest.

It’s something Olympic teams simply have to think about.

“We know how each game matters, how each minute matters with point differential,” France center Rudy Gobert said.

Holiday ailing with bad ankle

LeBron James, right, of the United States, celebrates with Jrue Holiday of Team USA after scoring in a men’s basketball game against Serbia at the Paris Olympics 2024, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Kerr planned on going back to his Game 1 starting lineup — Curry, LeBron James, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid and Jrue Holiday — for the Puerto Rico game. Embiid and Holiday didn’t start Game 2 against South Sudan in favor of Anthony Davis and Jayson Tatum; Embiid didn’t play at all in that matchup.

But the plan may change yet again. Holiday rolled an ankle on Wednesday night and Kerr says he’s questionable for Saturday.

Durant expects to be a reserve the rest of way

Kevin Durant has come off the bench in exactly three NBA games in his career. He’ll come off the bench for the third time this week for the Olympic team, assuming Kerr doesn’t change his mind about who to start.

Durant says he doesn’t mind, and figures he’ll be a reserve for the rest of the Olympics. But to him, it’s about who finishes the game or has the biggest impact, not who is out there for the first few minutes.

“We’re in a rhythm and a groove right now with it,” Durant said. “But like I’ve been saying, whatever coach needs me to do, I’m willing to do.”

More KD, this time moving up the charts

Durant has 472 points in his Olympic career, the most in Team USA men’s history. He is 16 points away from tying Lisa Leslie for the most in U.S. Olympic basketball history.

Leslie is a four-time gold medalist. Durant is trying for his fourth gold as well.