The United States is on track for its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal after clinching a spot in the quarter-finals with a victory over South Sudan. The Bright Stars, ranked 33rd in the world, were no match for the 16-time champions, falling 103-86 at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium.
The USA maintained control from the first quarter, with Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat leading the team with 18 points and seven rebounds. Nuni Omot was South Sudan’s standout performer, scoring a game-high 24 points.
While the match was entertaining, it lacked the drama of their earlier encounter this month during an Olympic warm-up, where the USA had to overcome a 16-point deficit to narrowly win 101-100 in London.
Team USA boasts 12 NBA All-Stars, four NBA MVPs, and six NBA champions, with a total of 11 Olympic appearances and 10 gold medals among them. They will conclude their Group C qualifiers against Puerto Rico on Saturday, while South Sudan needs a positive result against Serbia to advance.