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Happy August, Enjoyers! We’ve been loving every second of Olympic basketball over the past week, and we know you have been too. So what are you waiting for? Let’s talk international hoops.

Today’s Lineup

USA vs. South Sudan

The Americans are 2-0! After a nail-biter against South Sudan the exhibition round, Team USA showed up and showed out to the tune of a 103-86 win in the rematch on Wednesday, clinching their spot in the tournament quarterfinals.

Bam Adebayo continued his stretch of strong Olympic play, leading Team USA with 18 points and grabbing seven boards in 21 minutes off of the bench. But after Jayson Tatum (four points, five rebounds against South Sudan) sat out the USA’s entire first match of the tournament, Joel Embiid got the same treatment against South Sudan. Don’t worry, Sixers fans—Steve Kerr announced that The Process would be starting in the USA’s game against Puerto Rico on Friday.

As for South Sudan, the young nation benefitted from 24 points from former Baylor Bear Nuni Omot and some great play on the glass from Wenyen Gabriel (ten rebounds). 2023 G League MVP Carlik Jones had 18 points and seven assists as well, but Team USA’s talent was just too much for them to handle.

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Olympic Basketball Highlights

In case you’ve exclusively been watching Team USA, we’re here to catch you up on some of the other highlight games and standout performances from the rest of the tournament so far! You can check out the official standings and statistics here, but let’s get to it:

Canada cruises to 2-0 start, quarterfinal berth behind RJ and SGA

Team USA’s upstairs neighbor might be their biggest threat for the gold medal this summer. RJ Barrett (23.5 PPG) has been one of the Olympics’ most prolific scorers which, combined with SGA in the backcourt and the ultimate X-Factor Dillon Brooks, makes Canada a legitimate contender in this tournament. The Canadians’ 2-0 record means they’ve already secured their spot in the Olympic quarterfinals, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what this team can do in the knockout round!

Giannis leads tournament in scoring despite poor team play

All Hail the Greek Freak! Despite his team’s subpar performance so far in the group stage, Giannis has been absolutely KILLING the Olympics so far—he poured in 34 points against powerhouse Canada and 27 points (and 11 rebounds) against Spain in Greece’s most recent game. With an Olympic-high 30.5 points per game, it’s clear that guys like Giannis dominate in international settings under FIBA rules.

Germany and France battling for Group B lead

Group A has Canada and Group C has the USA, but Group B is a two-headed monster with a matchup we couldn’t be more excited for.

On the one hand, you have Germany led by Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroeder. On the other, you have the French team led by Victor Wembanyama. Both Germany and Spain are 2-0, and they’re set to face off against each other this afternoon at 2 PM.

NBA News

Gordon Hayward announces retirement

14 seasons, four teams, and one All-Star appearance. Gordon Hayward was a legend of the 2010s, gaining fans everywhere from his early years in Utah to his time as a Celtic and a Hornet to one final playoff run in OKC this past season. Rest east, Gordon! 💚

Luke Kennard, Grizzlies agree on one-year deal

Shooters get paid! With their sights set high as Ja Morant returns for a full season of basketball and top-ten pick Zach Edey ready to defy the haters at every turn, the Grizzlies are bringing back an exceptional shooter in Luke Kennard after declining his team option earlier this summer.

Jarrett Allen signs $91 million extension with Cavaliers

Another day, another extension given out by the Cavaliers as Cleveland’s FO tried to lock down their young core. This time, they’ve committed over $90 million on a three-year extension for 2022 All-Star Jarrett Allen, who has been as consistent as consistent comes since being traded to Cleveland from Brooklyn. Not to mention the fact that Allen is now guaranteed over $130 million over the next five years—get PAID!

Three in the Key

Signing Off

That’s all, folks! Thanks for being here with us this week. If you’ve been waking up at 4 AM to watch Olympic handball and table tennis like we have, you’re probably pretty wiped. Use this weekend to relax and recharge, okay?

-Austin Zeglis