Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White combined for 19 points in Team USA’s win over South Sudan in men’s group play at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Steve Kerr wasn't about to cause more controversy in Team USA's second game of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After raising eyebrows by not playing a healthy Jayson Tatum in the U.S. men's basketball team's group play opener against Serbia on Sunday, Kerr inserted the Boston Celtics star in his starting lineup for Wednesday's game against South Sudan in Lille, France.
While Tatum didn't stand out in the scoring department (four points), Team USA still got the desired result, cruising to a 103-86 win to improve to 2-0 in group play and secure its spot in the quarterfinals. Bam Adebayo led all American scorers with 18 points, while Derrick White (10 points) was one of six U.S. players in double figures.
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Joel Embiid was the only Team USA player who didn't see the floor.
Here's a recap of how Tatum and his two Boston Celtics teammates on Team USA -- White and guard Jrue Holiday -- fared Wednesday afternoon. Team USA's final group play game is Saturday, Aug. 3 at 11:15 a.m. ET on NBC against Puerto Rico.
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Jayson Tatum
Final stat line: 17 minutes, four points (2-for-4 FG; 0-for-1 3PT), five rebounds, two assists, one block, -4 plus-minus
Tatum got the start in this one, but his first points of the 2024 Olympics didn't come until the second half, when he threw down an alley-oop off a nifty pass from Stephen Curry.
The Celtics star found other ways to impact winning, however, grabbing five rebounds including a pair of offensive boards -- one of which led to his assist on a Tyrese Haliburton 3-pointer.
Tatum also recorded an emphatic block late in the second quarter and played strong defense throughout the game. His other bucket came on a tough finish in the paint with under two minutes remaining.
Jrue Holiday
Final stat line: 15 minutes, five points (2-for-5 FG; 1-for-3 3PT), two rebounds, one assist, one block, +9 plus-minus
Holiday may have had the least eventful game of the Celtics trio. He hit a mid-range jumper shortly after coming off the bench in the first quarter but didn't score again until late in the fourth quarter, when he hit a corner 3-pointer off a feed from Devin Booker.
The veteran guard played his usual solid defense, however, hounding South Sudan's guards and recording a block on Carlik Jones' 3-pointer at the final buzzer.
Derrick White
Final stat line: 17 minutes, 10 points (3-for-3 FG; 3-for-3 3PT; 1-for-2 FT), one rebound, one assist, three steals, one block, +15 plus-minus
For those wondering if White deserves a spot on Team USA's roster, we'll direct you to Wednesday's game against South Sudan.
The versatile guard did a bit of everything in this one, from hitting a trio of 3-pointers to racking up three steals to recording a highlight-reel block of South Sudan's Carlik Jones in the first half.
Team USA led South Sudan by just four points when White came in off the bench midway through the first quarter, and that lead quickly ballooned to double digits as White did all the little things that make him invaluable to the Celtics -- including this nifty lob pass to Bam Adebayo for a thunderous dunk.
White repeatedly received praise from NBC color commentator Dwyane Wade throughout the broadcast for his impact on the game and should continue get plenty of run going forward.
One thing to monitor: White appeared to injure his back midway through the third quarter when South Sudan's Bul Kuol hit him from behind on a screen. White stayed in the game but grabbed his lower back on a few occasions later in the contest.
