LeBron James expressed his preference for challenging games over blowouts.
LeBron James led Team USA with 25 points.
Marial Shayok of South Sudan made a three-pointer and a jumper to cut Team USA's lead to two points.
South Sudan's impressive outside shooting performance outshone Team USA's dismal three-point shooting.
Team USA narrowly avoided an upset loss to South Sudan in an exhibition game ahead of the Paris Olympics.
In a thrilling turn of events, Team USA narrowly avoided an upset loss to South Sudan in an exhibition game ahead of the Paris Olympics. The U.S team, led by LeBron James, struggled with shooting and turnovers in the first half while South Sudan played efficiently and confidently. However, Jrue Holiday's crucial save for a James dunk shifted momentum back to Team USA.
Despite being favored by 43.5 points, Team USA found themselves trailing by as many as 16 points in the second quarter. South Sudan's impressive outside shooting performance, with a success rate of 42.4%, outshone the Americans' dismal 25% three-point shooting.
With just under one minute remaining, Marial Shayok of South Sudan made a three-pointer and a jumper to cut Team USA's lead to two points. The tension was palpable as the clock ticked down, but James stepped up with a game-winning layup with eight seconds left on the clock.
LeBron James led Team USA with 25 points, while South Sudan's roster lacked a current NBA player but showcased impressive skills and determination. The Paris Olympics are set to begin on July 28, and Team USA will face Germany in their next exhibition game on July 23.
Despite the close call, LeBron James expressed his preference for challenging games over blowouts: “I like those better than the blowouts,” he said. “At least we're getting tested. I like getting tested, baby.”
LeBron James made a driving layup with eight seconds left to prevent an upset and secure a 101-100 victory for Team USA.
South Sudan's basketball team, called the Bright Stars, gave Team USA a serious test and led by as many as 16 points.
LeBron James scored 25 points and made crucial plays during a late run to help turn the game around for Team USA.
Accuracy
Team USA’s defense was shaky in the first half, allowing dribble penetration and leading to high shooting percentages and a wave of 3-pointers by South Sudan.
Steph Curry made two clutch 3-pointers during Team USA’s late run to help secure the victory.
Anthony Davis finished off a strong performance with a series of plays to seal the game for Team USA.
Deception
(80%)
The article contains editorializing and pontification by the author. The author expresses his opinion that South Sudan gave Team USA a 'thrilling and serious test' and that they played 'wonderful basketball'. He also states that Team USA was 'embarrassed' at halftime, implying a negative assessment of their performance. The article also contains selective reporting as the author focuses on the close call against South Sudan while omitting any mention of Team USA's previous losses to other teams. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through descriptions of the 'raucous crowd' and 'powerful and dramatic scene'.
They played a wonderful game and the ending was good for us just to feel that. To feel what it’s going to be like in Paris and Lille ... a good reminder that when we play against teams, it’s the biggest game of their lives and we have to expect everyone to play like that.
We want to take the momentum, the mindset, the tenaciousness that we had [to the Olympics]
There is a tendency at times to let down; I think the fact that we played well against Serbia the other night, this was kind of a natural letdown game that you fear.
I did not do a great job preparing our team, I think we did not focus enough on what they’re capable of and that’s on me.
The players representing the war-torn young nation added a powerful and dramatic scene Saturday night in a moment the raucous crowd at O2 Arena won’t soon forget.
South Sudan got up by as many as 16 points and threatened to pull off one of the biggest upsets ever seen in international basketball before Team USA pulled it out.
Fallacies
(90%)
The article contains several informal fallacies and an appeal to authority. The author uses inflammatory language when describing South Sudan's performance as 'thrilling and serious test' and 'dramatic scene'. He also uses the phrase 'good reminder' multiple times, which is an appeal to the reader's emotions. The author also quotes Team USA coach Steve Kerr making statements about his own performance and that of his team, which is an appeal to authority as he is positioning himself as an expert on the matter.
][author] There probably will be a movie made about the South Sudan basketball team someday. And the players representing the war-torn young nation added a powerful and dramatic scene Saturday night in a moment the raucous crowd at O2 Arena won't soon forget.[/]
[]author I did not do a great job preparing our team, I think we did not focus enough on what they're capable of and that's on me.[
]author They played a wonderful game and the ending was good for us just to feel that. To feel what it's going to be like in Paris and Lille ... a good reminder that when we play against teams, it’s the biggest game of their lives and we have to expect everyone to play like that.[
]quote by Steve Kerr I think the whole team was embarrassed at halftime to be totally outplayed and down 14.[
]quote by Steve Kerr And I don't think [James] was real thrilled about me not starting him in the third quarter. But I thought that next group that we put out there really did a good job defensively. And I looked down a couple of times and I can see LeBron chomping at the bit to be out on the floor as soon as he got out there and he went to work, so he was brilliant.[
]quote by Steph Curry We can be beat if we don’t play our brand of basketball. And our brand of basketball is playing defense.[
]quote by Steve Kerr There is a tendency at times to let down; I think the fact that we played well against Serbia the other night, this was kind of a natural letdown game that you fear. What we’ve learned with USA basketball is that the gap has closed ... so it’s not a shock to see a team from South Sudan play really well and knock down 3s. The game has gotten better across the globe, but we still feel like we always control the outcome with our performance and as good as every other team is now, we still feel like it’s up to us to determine the outcome based on our defense and our effort.[
Bias
(95%)
The author expresses a sense of surprise and excitement about the performance of South Sudan's basketball team, using phrases like 'powerful and dramatic scene', 'thrilling and serious test', and 'wonderful game'. While it is not inherently biased to acknowledge the skill or determination of an underdog team, the author's language implies that Team USA was in danger of losing to a less capable opponent. This could be seen as downplaying the abilities of South Sudan and implying that their victory was a fluke or unexpected. Additionally, the author quotes Team USA coach Steve Kerr expressing embarrassment at his team's poor performance against South Sudan, further emphasizing the perceived underdog status of the opposing team.
I did not do a great job preparing our team, I think we did not focus enough on what they’re capable of and that’s on me.
South Sudan got up by as many as 16 points and threatened to pull off one of the biggest upsets ever seen in international basketball before Team USA pulled it out.
The club is called the Bright Stars -- the first team to represent the country in the Olympics when it arrives in Paris next week -- and it gave Team USA a thrilling and serious test.
There probably will be a movie made about the South Sudan basketball team someday.
They played a wonderful game and the ending was good for us just to feel that. To feel what it’s going to be like in Paris and Lille ... a good reminder that when we play against teams, it’s the biggest game of their lives and we have to expect everyone to play like that.
The Americans were favored by 43.5 points over South Sudan but struggled with slow starts, poor ball movement, and outside shooting.
South Sudan handily won the outside shooting battle, going 14 for 33 (42.4 percent) on three-pointers compared to the Americans’ 7-for-28 shooting (25 percent).
Marial Shayok made a three-pointer and a jumper to cut the American’s lead to two points with under one minute remaining.
Accuracy
JT Thor drilled a three-pointer to give South Sudan a 100-99 lead with 20 seconds left.
Deception
(80%)
The article contains several instances of sensationalism and selective reporting. The author emphasizes the close score and South Sudan's near-upset, implying that this is an unusual occurrence when in fact upsets are common in sports. The author also focuses on the mistakes made by the US team, while downplaying South Sudan's strong performance. For example, they mention that South Sudan won the outside shooting battle but do not provide this information until later in the article and do not mention it again when discussing the game-winning possession.
Though South Sudan has never competed in the Olympics in men’s basketball and its roster lacks a current NBA player, the African nation of about 11 million nearly turned in one of the biggest upsets in international basketball history Saturday against the United States.
The Americans fell behind by 16 points in the first half as their starting lineup, featuring Joel Embiid at center, continued to struggle with slow starts and poor ball movement.
If not for a dominant third quarter, which the Americans won 37-18 to erase a 14-point halftime deficit and take a lead into the final period, James never would have had the chance to play hero.
Fallacies
(80%)
The author makes an appeal to authority when he states that South Sudan nearly turned in one of the biggest upsets in international basketball history. He also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing South Sudan's performance as 'monumental' and 'amazing'. The author also commits a hasty generalization when he states that the Americans fell behind by 16 points in the first half due to their starting lineup continuing to struggle with slow starts and poor ball movement. He assumes that this is a consistent issue without providing evidence.
]The Africancation of about 11 million nearly turned in one of the biggest upsets in international basketball history[.
South Sudan was amazing
If not for a dominant third quarter, which the Americans won 37-18 to erase a 14-point halftime deficit and take a lead into the final period, James never would have had the chance to play hero
Bias
(95%)
The author expresses surprise at South Sudan's performance and implies that they are underdogs despite their lack of NBA players and Olympic experience. He also uses language like 'biggest upsets in international basketball history' to depict South Sudan as an extreme outlier. The author also mentions the large point spread in favor of the US team, implying that a close game is unexpected.
The Americans were favored by 43½ points over South Sudan, which became an independent nation in 2011 following a lengthy civil war and made its major international basketball tournament debut at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Though South Sudan has never competed in the Olympics in men’s basketball and its roster lacks a current NBA player, the African nation of about 11 million nearly turned in one of the biggest upsets in international basketball history Saturday against the United States.
Team USA struggled with shooting and turnovers in the first half
South Sudan played efficiently and confidently, sinking 3s and keeping the pace fast in the first half
Jrue Holiday saved the ball for a James dunk to shift momentum back to Team USA
Accuracy
South Sudan took a 14-point lead at halftime
Team USA regained footing in the game by outscoring South Sudan 37-18 in the third quarter
Stephen Curry made a deep 3 from the corner to take a lead at the end of the third quarter
South Sudan pushed back against Team USA throughout the fourth quarter but couldn’t catch up
JT Thor made a massive 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining to give Team USA a one-point lead
Deception
(80%)
The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of Team USA's narrow victory over South Sudan. The author also uses emotional manipulation by describing the U.S.'s struggle against an 'unexpectedly wily South Sudan'. Additionally, there is a lack of disclosure regarding sources used in the article.
The U.S. looked especially rattled on Saturday against an unexpectedly wily South Sudan, before eventually pulling out the win.
South Sudan played efficiently, playing with confidence while sinking 3s and keeping the pace fast.
Fallacies
(90%)
The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing South Sudan as 'an unexpectedly wily South Sudan' and 'South Sudan looked strong from beyond the arc'. This is an appeal to fear and creates a negative image of South Sudan without providing any evidence. The author also makes a dichotomous depiction by describing Team USA's first half performance as 'rough' and 'plagued by turnovers and missed shots', while South Sudan's performance is described as 'efficiently', 'playing with confidence', and 'sinking 3s'. This creates a false dichotomy between the two teams.
LeBron James scored the go-ahead basket with 8 seconds left, saving the US Olympic team from a 16-point deficit and an upset loss to South Sudan.
South Sudan gained independence just 13 years ago and is playing in the Olympics for the first time.
Accuracy
The US team allowed South Sudan to shoot 61% in the first half and got outscored from three-point range.
South Sudan led for more than half the game and had a chance to win at the end.
Carlik Jones missed a potential game-winning shot with about 4 seconds left, allowing the US to survive.
Deception
(80%)
The article contains editorializing and sensationalism. The author uses phrases like 'stunning loss', 'biggest upset in the program's history', and 'good reminder that when we play against teams, it’s the biggest game of their lives'. These phrases are used to manipulate emotions and create a sense of drama. Additionally, the author quotes LeBron James saying 'I like those better than the blowouts. At least we get tested.' This is an opinion by James and not a factual statement.
The U.S. Olympic team that’ll soon head to the Paris Games escaped with a 101-100 win over South Sudan in London, rallying from a 16-point deficit to avoid perhaps the biggest upset in the program’s history.
The Americans allowed South Sudan to shoot 61% in the first half and got outscored 21-3 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.
It was 8-0 U.S. after 2 1/2 minutes. The rest of the half: South Sudan 58, U.S. 34.
I did not do a great job preparing our team. We did not focus enough on what they’re capable of, and that’s on me.
Anthony Davis added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Americans. Marial Shayok had 24 points for South Sudan and Jones had a triple-double – 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to authority when quoting Steve Kerr stating 'We have to expect everyone to play like that.' and 'We did not focus enough on what they're capable of, and that's on me.' This implies that the team should have expected a tough game from South Sudan due to their past performance or reputation. However, this does not necessarily mean it was a logical assumption as there could be other factors at play. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing South Sudan's performance as 'the biggest upset in the program's history.' and 'a good reminder that when we play against teams, it’s the biggest game of their lives.' This language is not objective and could sway readers emotions.
We have to expect everyone to play like that.
It was a good reminder that when we play against teams, it’s the biggest game of their lives.
Bias
(95%)
The article does not demonstrate any clear bias towards a specific political, religious, ideological or monetary position. However, the author does use language that depicts South Sudan as underdogs and implies that they were unexpected to put up a good fight against the US team. This could be seen as an unintentional bias towards favoring the US team due to their status and reputation.
It was 8-0 U.S. after 2 1/2 minutes.
South Sudan had a chance to win at the end.
The teams will meet in group play in the Paris Olympics on July 31.
