The USA took on South Sudan in another exhibition game in preparation for the Olympics. With a roster full of All-Stars from around the league, South Sudan gave Team USA a run for their money, despite minimal NBA experience in their squad. And like many others, Shaquille O’Neal’s son Shaqir could not believe his eyes.
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Team USA won the matchup against South Sudan with a 101-100 final score. But up until the last 20 seconds of the game, it appeared as if the team full of a bunch of All-Stars would finally suffer their first loss.
South Sudan’s JT Thor brought fans to the edge of their seats with what could’ve been a possible game-winner, had it not been for LeBron James. And Shaqir even admitted to it.
Shaqir shared a reel on his official Instagram Stories showcasing Thor’s game-winner from a step-back three. The way Thor walked back past the Team USA bench deserved a reaction as Shaqir had the cold on his socials.
Shaqir O'Neal shared JT Thor Torching Team USA on his IG pic.twitter.com/gokRrTxMkw
— What are (W)NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) July 21, 2024
Thor finished the game with 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal for the game. G-League MVP Carlik Jones finished the game with a triple-double. He had 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists against Team USA.
Marial Shayok from South Sudan led the team in scoring with a 24-point performance. He paired those 24 points with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals for the night.
The game was fairly even for the first quarter. It wasn’t until the second quarter that they started to outscor Team USA. They finished the first half with a 58-44 lead.
The second half of the matchup was a different story as USA went on a run led by LeBron James to cut the deficit. But the fact that South Sudan had Team USA on the ropes for the entirety of the four quarters was something no one had expected. Had it not been for James’ game-winning layup and his 23-point outing, Team USA may have gone on to lose the game. The team also got solid performances from Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid.
But it was still James’ game-winner that saved Team USA a lot of embarrassment on the international stage.
