LeBron James Rescues Team USA with Late Heroics Against Germany

LeBron James scored 11 points in the final four minutes to lead the United States men's national basketball team to a 92-88 victory over Germany in their final tuneup game ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The United States men's national basketball team once again found themselves in a nail-biter in their final tuneup game ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, but this time it was LeBron James who came to the rescue.

James scored 11 points in the final four minutes to lift the Americans to a 92-88 victory over Germany on Monday night. The NBA's all-time leading scorer's first points in that stretch came with just under four minutes left, making a dunk on a cutting play to give USA an 83-82 edge. He got a steal on the following possession and turned it into two points to extend its lead to 85-82.

After getting fouled on a defensive rebound with just over three minutes left, James made a pair of free throws to put the Americans up by five. Germany scored four straight points, giving the USA a one-point edge with 1:43 left.

But James stepped up one more time. He drained a 3-pointer that gave the USA a 90-86 lead with 1:26 remaining. The United States got a stop on the ensuing German possession before James drove into the lane for his final two points of the night, giving the Americans a 92-86 lead with 45 seconds left. Germany didn't score again until there was just a second left on the clock.

James' 11-point outburst in the game's final four minutes was enough to make him the game's leading scorer with 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting from the field. He added six rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block in the exhibition effort.

The strong performance from James capped off a noteworthy day for the NBA legend. He was named the male flagbearer for Team USA at Friday's Opening Ceremony, becoming the first United States men's basketball player to earn that honor.

The United States closed out its exhibition slate 5-0, but Monday was the second straight contest that it needed a full 40-minute effort to win. It defeated South Sudan by one point on Saturday, narrowly avoiding one of the biggest upsets in basketball history.

Still, Team USA is highly favored to win the gold medal in men's basketball at the Summer Olympics. It begins its Olympic quest on Sunday, taking on Serbia in group play. The USA defeated Serbia, 105-79, in an exhibition game last Wednesday.

James' heroics against Germany were a reminder of why he is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He has a knack for making big plays in big moments, and he did it again on Monday night to help Team USA avoid an upset.