Jayson Tatum didn’t say much after sitting out Team USA’s first win over Serbia. However, Steve Kerr promised Tatum would make an impact, and he did in the next game against South Sudan.
Team USA secured their second victory easily on Wednesday, beating South Sudan 103-86. After the game, Tatum spoke to reporters about not playing in the first match, calling it a “humbling experience.”
“It’s a unique situation, and it’s not about one individual player,” Tatum said after the win against South Sudan via BasketNews.com. “You win a championship, new contract, ‘NBA 2K25’ cover, Sports Illustrated… so after all of this, it’s definitely a humbling experience.”
Game Highlights:
Seeing Tatum start in Team USA’s second Olympic game wasn’t surprising but noteworthy. He played 17 minutes, scored four points on 2-of-4 shooting , grabbed five rebounds, dished out two assists and blocked one shot.
Tatum was happy that the team won and relieved to be back on the court after all the talk following his absence in the opener. “We won; I was just glad to get back out there and play again with all the chatter over the last few days,” he added.
Fans might think this shows how unpredictable sports can be.
Steve Kerr also stuck to his plan of rotating players. Joel Embiid started in the opener but got a DNP-CD against South Sudan.
The Americans’ balanced effort led to their victory as six players scored double digits. Bam Adebayo shined with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting along with seven rebounds and two blocks. He even hit two out of three shots from beyond the arcโa rare sight for him!
What do you think about these rotations? Do they help or hurt Team USA?
