Team USA Survives Close Call Against South Sudan in Olympic Exhibition

Despite being heavily favored, the United States men's basketball team struggled against South Sudan in a pre-Olympics exhibition in London, ultimately winning 101-100. LeBron James' late-game heroics and Anthony Davis' defensive stop saved the Americans from a shocking upset.

London, England – The United States men's basketball team avoided a major embarrassment on Saturday night, narrowly defeating South Sudan 101-100 in a pre-Olympic exhibition game at the O2 Arena in London.

Despite being favored by as many as 45.5 points entering the contest, Team USA faced a determined South Sudanese squad that pushed them to the limit.

Team USA Survives Close Call Against South Sudan in Olympic Exhibition

The Americans started strong, taking an early lead in the first quarter. However, after South Sudan called a timeout, the momentum of the game shifted. Carlik Jones led the charge for South Sudan, scoring 15 points in the first half and helping his team build a 14-point halftime lead.

Team USA responded in the second half, slowing down the pace of the game and working the ball more inside to Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis. The strategy proved effective, as the Americans outscored South Sudan 57-42 in the second half to secure the win.

Team USA Survives Close Call Against South Sudan in Olympic Exhibition

LeBron James led the way for the United States with 23 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Davis added 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Jones led South Sudan with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.

The win was a relief for Team USA, which shot a dismal 25% from 3-point range and was outrebounded 42-39. The team's struggles raised concerns about their readiness for the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

Team USA Survives Close Call Against South Sudan in Olympic Exhibition

"We have a lot of work to do," said James after the game. "We're making mistakes that we need to clean up."

Despite the struggles, Team USA will have one more warmup game against Germany before their quest for gold in Paris begins.

* Team USA's victory was their first against South Sudan in international competition.

* Jones' triple-double was the first recorded by a South Sudanese player in an international game.

* Embiid finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Kevin Durant added 12 points.

* South Sudan's 100 points were the most allowed by Team USA in an exhibition game since 2014.

* The game was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,380 fans.

* Team USA will face Germany in their final warmup game on July 24th before departing for Paris.