Team USA cruises past Brazil into semi-finals with blowout win

LeBron James and Anthony Davis both impressed as Team USA blew out Brazil in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Olympics on Tuesday.

Despite exciting games and upsets elsewhere in the quarterfinals, USA took care of business in a complete beatdown of Brazil, 122-87, to advance to the semi-finals.

LeBron James finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, three rebounds and three steals. Anthony Davis had 13 points and eight rebounds along with three assists, two steals and a block.

Devin Booker had a team-high 18 points. A host of Americans reached double figures, most of them in garbage time. Anthony Edwards had 17 points, Joel Embiid had 14 and Kevin Durant had 11.

Steve Kerr went back to his original starting lineup of LeBron, Steph Curry, Booker, Jrue Holiday and Joel Embiid. As has been the case in recent Olympics game, it was a lot of LeBron quarterbacking the offense to start as he had four assists in the opening four minutes.

Behind that fast start, USA built up a double-digit lead that it carried into the second quarter. Brazil, though, began finding a rhythm, led offensively by Lakers legend Marcelo Huertas.

Embiid had his best game of the summer by far, pouring in 14 points in the first half to help USA re-establish its big lead. LeBron continued handing out dimes and added in some points of his own as the lead eclipsed 20 points with his layup late in the half.

An in-bound lob to Tatum for a dunk gave LeBron eight assists in the first half to go with 10 points as USA led 63-36 at the break.

The second half was a mere formality. Bam Adebayo started in the second half for Embiid while the main notable happening in the third quarter was LeBron taking a blow to the eye that forced him out of the game. After going to the bench, LeBron eventually went back to the locker room for treatment.

AD, though, had the highlight dunk of the Olympics with a huge putback off a missed Curry 3-pointer.

USA led 94-71 after three quarters as AD flirted with a double-double. While he did get a couple of buckets, including an and-one, he was subbed out before getting the double-double.

The fourth quarter was little more than a stat-padding session for both sides as USA cruised to the win.

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