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Team USA’s exhibition season did not go exactly as planned, as the Olympic favorites stumbled to Tokyo with two exhibition losses to Nigeria and Australia. A win over Argentina apparently got the ship right, but COVID-19 protocols deprived the U.S. team of Bradley Beal and a recurring calf injury also removed Kevin Love from the list. With Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker still playing in the NBA Finals, the Americans appeared to be in serious jeopardy less than a week before the opening ceremonies.
A final tune-up against frequent Olympic rival and FIBA-ranked No.2 Spain gave the U.S. team the chance to right the ship, but a slow start threatened to shed light on their struggles. Spain led for most of the first two quarters and took a 38-36 lead in the halftime behind strong performances from NBA stalwarts Ricky Rubio and the Gasol brothers, but the US team came out. with renewed urgency in the second half thanks in part to one of his new players.
San Antonio Spurs winger Keldon Johnson was not supposed to play for Select Team until he arrived in Las Vegas, but the absences of Booker, Holiday and Middleton forced Team USA to use him as a temporary replacement. for their exhibitions. With Beal and Love gone, Team USA removed the temporary tag and made Johnson a full member of the roster. It was a surprising move given Johnson’s relatively low profile in the NBA, but the 21-year-old forward more than justified Sunday’s decision.
Johnson scored 10 points in just the third quarter and 15 overall on 7 of 9 shots as the United States fled with an 83-76 victory in the second. His energy was contagious and helped spark Team USA’s murderous transition match against an older, slower Spanish formation. He was trailing just Damian Lillard’s 19 points for the game, and when he was on the pitch, the United States topped Spain with 18 points, a high in under 18 minutes.
“I’m here to be that type of energy and bring light to the team whenever we need it,” Johnson said after the game. “In the third quarter I came in and we needed a spark. I’m not saying that just because I have a few buckets, but just defensively, talking and everything. I’m just trying to bring in a kind of energy, kind of spark so that we can overcome that bump. “
This energy will be needed at the start of the Olympics. The U.S. team will debut in Tokyo on Sunday, July 25 against France, and if the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns need the seven games to decide the NBA Finals, Booker, Holiday and Middleton might not be ready to play, too. quickly. So Johnson is likely to have a place in that rotation early on, and if Sunday is any indication, he’s going to continue to use it to present himself as one of basketball’s brightest young stars.
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