LONDON — Here's something everyone in the basketball world needs to understand as the Olympic Games, perhaps the most competitive international tournament in history, are about to begin.
LeBron James is not mincing words. He may be 39 years old and has just been named the country's flag bearer, but this is no ceremonial moment.
On Monday night, when he put on another display of dominance in front of the largest crowd ever to see a basketball game in London, fans, opponents and even his Team USA teammates could only look on in awe.
With reigning FIBA World Champions Germany trying to send a message by beating the Americans just days before the start of the Olympics, James took the game by the horns the same way he has since he was a teenager.
James scored eight vital points and combined them with steals, rebounds and brute force to lead Team USA to a 92-88 victory. He finished with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, but the stats are not representative of the strength with which he played.
As James went on a streak of steals, rebounds, free throws and rebounds midway through the fourth quarter, his teammates jumped around the bench area like kids at recess watching it all unfold.
And, by the way, he opened the game with two brutal dunks in the first three minutes.
Team USA ends the pre-Olympic tour with an imperfect 5-0 record. It has some issues to work on after two unimpressive performances in London.
But Joel Embiid was a bright spot as he continues to improve his form. He had 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Steph Curry scored 13 points for Team USA.
Germany has four current NBA players on its roster and is known for its excellent team chemistry, which was on display in its run to the World Cup title last summer. Almost everyone on the court can shoot from the three-point line, moves the ball well, is very active with their hands on defense and has tremendous size.
The most important thing about this match was that Germany took care of the ball and was aggressive in attack.
Team USA struggled to allow dribble penetration, leading to three-point shooting in its tight game against South Sudan on Saturday. It was clear this was a point of emphasis heading into the game, especially with Jrue Holiday and Anthony Edwards applying heavy ball pressure to Germany’s guards and generally better defensive focus.
At times, the Germans struggled to create clear plays, shooting more three-pointers at the end of the shot clock than shots from their offense. It was exactly the kind of defensive response Team USA coaches had hoped for.
But there was the problem of not finishing possessions, and the Germans had repeated second chances, scoring 16 points thanks to them.
That and a series of turnovers, especially a third-quarter stretch in which the U.S. offense was hampered by five turnovers in a four-minute span, and Germany was able to overcome 36 percent shooting by taking 12 more shots.
Kevin Durant missed the game as he continues to recover from a right calf injury. Team USA coach Steve Kerr had hoped Durant could play some minutes in London before the team left for France for final preparation for the Olympics. Durant practiced last week and increased his activity level over the weekend, but he was not yet ready for Monday.
Durant said a resounding “no” when asked last week if his prior history with calf injuries (he strained his left calf just before suffering an Achilles injury on the same leg during the 2019 Finals) affected how he approached his return from this injury.
As has been the case since training camp in Las Vegas two weeks ago, Team USA officials remain privately optimistic about Durant's ability to play in the Olympics. The roster should be finalized by Saturday.
Franz Wanger led Germany with 18 points.
