Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid continued his preparation for the Paris Olympics on Monday as Team USA took on Australia in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi. The big fella fouled out in his Team USA debut in a win over Canada on July 10, but he was able to bounce back in this one.
Embiid had 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting and he knocked down two triples on five attempts. He also grabbed five rebounds and had two steals to help Team USA hold off Australia 98-92. The Americans had a sizeable lead in this one, but Australia deserves credit for digging deep and not giving up.
Jojo put him in the blender. 😵💫
🇺🇸 #USABMNT x 📺 @FS1 pic.twitter.com/r7bXJR8Ozs
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 15, 2024
The big fella was clearly able to make an impact in this one with his rim protection. A big reason why Australia was able to get back in the game was they were able to get to the basket often with Embiid off the floor. That’s something coach Steve Kerr and his staff will look into as they move forward.
Embiid and Team USA will continue their prep for the Olympics on Wednesday when they take on Serbia in Abu Dhabi.
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