LeBron James was pleased with the progress shown by the USA in their 105-79 victory over Serbia in a friendly match in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. However, he emphasized that there is “so much room to improve” as they pursue Olympic gold.
After narrowly escaping a loss to Australia on Monday, where they nearly squandered a 20-point lead, Team USA appeared dominant against Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic.
Stephen Curry, who had scored just three points against Australia, found his rhythm on Wednesday, opening the game with a three-pointer and finishing with a team-high 24 points, making six of nine from beyond the arc.
“We designed the opening play to get him going,” said James about Curry. “Once he hits one, it opens up the game for everyone. He set the tone, and we just kept feeding off that energy.”
Bam Adebayo also had an impressive game, coming off the bench to score 17 points, grab eight rebounds, and provide two assists. The Miami Heat center paired well on defense with Anthony Davis, who contributed six blocks, six rebounds, and seven points.
“Bam and AD together are really something special,” said US head coach Steve Kerr. “Their ability to switch and protect the rim is crucial for us.”
Serbia, who had lost to Australia the previous day, were without Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic. Despite a strong performance from reigning NBA MVP Jokic, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Serbia couldn’t match the Americans. They will meet again in their Olympic opener in Lille, France on July 28.
“We still have a lot of room for improvement, but tonight was a step in the right direction,” said James, aiming for his third Olympic gold medal.
Kerr made one change to the starting lineup from the Australia game, keeping Jayson Tatum, James, Joel Embiid, and Curry, but replacing Anthony Edwards with Jrue Holiday. Curry scored nine points in the first two minutes, but Serbia quickly caught up with back-to-back threes from Aleksa Avramovic, taking an early lead.
Kerr continued his strategy of subbing all five starters midway through the quarter, bringing in Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Davis, Adebayo, and Devin Booker. Edwards reclaimed the lead for the USA from the free throw line, though Serbia tied the game at the end of the first quarter with a buzzer-beating layup by Vanja Marinkovic.
Curry, Edwards, and Adebayo helped the USA pull ahead, and they remained in control for the rest of the game.
Kerr is satisfied with his rotation strategy, alternating the starting lineup with a second unit every five minutes. “The depth of our team is our strength,” said Kerr. “Playing in short bursts of intense defense, rebounding, and physical play makes sense. This way, players like AD and Bam, or Steph and LeBron, can learn to play together and develop a better feel for each other.”
The USA will head to London for their final exhibition games, facing South Sudan on Saturday and reigning world champions Germany on Monday.
