James hit a go-ahead layup driving to his left with eight seconds remaining, and South Sudan missed three shots to pull off a monumental upset in the closing seconds.
For the United States, the game exposed several issues that could prove problematic when it opens group-stage play against Serbia on July 28. The Americans fell behind by as many as 16 points in the first half as their starting lineup, featuring Joel Embiid at center, continued to struggle with slow starts and poor ball movement. South Sudan handily won the outside shooting battle, going 14 for 33 (42.4 percent) on three-pointers compared to the Americans’ 7-for-28 shooting (25 percent). And the Americans’ star-studded roster, led by James and Stephen Curry, continued to struggle with turnovers.
Saturday’s exhibition was the fourth of five showcase games the Americans will play before in the Olympics. They beat Canada, Australia and Serbia in their first three contests, but their chemistry wasn’t always sharp as Coach Steve Kerr experimented with starting lineups and unorthodox rotations.
Those problems continued Saturday until a quality third quarter during which the Americans erased a 14-point halftime deficit and took a lead into the final period. But South Sudan rallied and had a 100-99 lead before James’s winning basket.
Carlik Jones, a former NBA player, had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for South Sudan. James led the Americans with 23 points to go with six rebounds and six assists.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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