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Lore: Four MVPs, one indelible win

There are close games, and then there are games dramatic enough to remember for a long time. Team USA’s win yesterday over Serbia belongs there, and only due to one quarter of play, really.

Let’s zoom out:

• For three quarters, this semifinal matchup looked like the worst loss in American Olympic basketball history. Nothing worked for Team USA, and Bogdan Bogdanović turned into a Monstar. Possibly the most talented roster in American Olympic history was crashing out badly. They were down 17 points at one juncture.
• The fourth quarter is what we’ll remember. Four former NBA MVPs — LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid — all played at their peaks. They played well together, and showcased unbelievable grit down the stretch.
• Curry especially was vintage, scoring 36 points in the game and hitting nine 3-pointers. James added a triple-double. Durant had a huge bucket in crunchtime. Embiid scored 19 points.

A collective goosebumps of sorts spread across social media after the buzzer. To watch James, Curry and Durant — three of the best 15 NBA players of all time — play like this on the same team, representing their country, was just special. Team USA coach Steve Kerr said he was “really humbled to have been a part of this game.” Same, but from my couch.

Next up, on Saturday for the gold medal: host country France, which eked by Germany in another tight semifinal. The Americans are big favorites, and the focus will be on Embiid, who spurned the French to play for Team USA. Don’t let Wemby get hot.

Elsewhere, four Americans who medaled yesterday:

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Jones says no ‘urgency’ for Lamb deal
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