Serbia had Team USA on the ropes in Thursday’s semifinal matchup, leading by as many as 17 points and by 13 heading into the final frame. Ultimately, the Americans pulled off a comeback that will go down as one of the most memorable games in Olympic basketball history.
And Stephen Curry, who had been quiet for much of his Team USA debut at the 2024 Olympics, saved his best for when it was needed most. The Golden State Warriors star poured in 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting while knocking down 9-of-14 attempts from three-point range.
Curry’s performance will go down as one of the most impressive in Team USA history, and no one summed it up better than former Warriors teammate and fellow national team star Kevin Durant.
As BasketNews.com’s Donatas Urbonas revealed, Durant described Curry’s performance as “godlike” and said it was one of the “greatest games” he’s seen him play.
“That was a godlike performance. God was with him tonight. It was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen him play,” Durant said of Curry.
Through Team USA’s three group games and a quarterfinal win over Brazil, Curry had scored in double figures just once, notching 11 points against Serbia in the opener. But the 36-year-old superstar came out firing on all cylinders in the semifinal matchup, attempting more than twice as many shot attempts and also tacking on eight rebounds with two assists and one steal over 33 minutes.
Durant’s high praise for Curry was unquestionably warranted. Now the duo, along with the rest of the star-studded American roster, will look to keep its foot on the gas in the gold medal game against France on Saturday.
