Team USA Finds Its Groove In 3x3 Pool Play Day 4

With losses mounting for both United States 3x3 basketball teams, chances in the Olympic pool play standings were looking meek. On August 2, however, that all changed, as both squads picked up two wins apiece in another jam-packed pool play day. 

The women’s 3x3 squad set it in motion with its victory over Spain the day before. That win marked Team USA’s first victory on a basketball court that wasn’t tied to the 5x5 national teams. A day later, the women’s and men’s teams each emerged with two straight victories, shifting the pool play standings with one game apiece remaining for the two squads. 

Here’s what went down in each 3x3 team’s two most recent pool play games:

Women’s 3x3 vs. France 

Both the United States and France were 1-3 heading into this contest, making for a fight to not drop more in the standings. 

With momentum from their first win of the 2024 Olympic Games, the Americans continued to find its groove on the court. 

It certainly wasn’t an easy ride to eventually pick up the win, however. 

France definitely stayed in the contest, so much so that gameplay came down to the wire. Just when it looked as if Team USA could put the game away, France tied it up with a 2-pointer to make the score 13-13 with just 17.2 seconds remaining. 

Dearica Hamby connected on a clutch basket as the shot clock buzzer ran out which gave the United States a 14-13 lead with three seconds remaining. With France unable to score again, Team USA escaped on top. 

Hamby, Cierra Burdick and Hailey Van Lith all finished with four points, while Rhyne Howard finished with two points. Burdick also collected seven rebounds throughout the game, while Van Hamby and Van Lith each chipped in four apiece. 

Team USA’s efforts against France perfectly represented how teams can be successful in 3x3 tournaments. Each player stepped up for the United States in different ways, and the fact that the Americans’ scoring was so evenly dispersed proved that above all else. 

Women’s 3x3 vs. Canada

Taking on another opponent situated toward the bottom of the standings, Team USA had to lock in and capitalize on the situation at hand. Gameplay was back-and-forth throughout the contest, showing yet again it wasn’t going to be a simple task for Team USA to achieve three pool play wins in a row. 

With just over four minutes to play, the game was tied, 9-9. 

Just over two minutes of gameplay later, Canada had jumped out to a 15-12 lead with time on the clock ticking down. At the one-minute mark, Canada’s lead proved even more difficult to overcome, as it stood at 16-13. 

Eventually, a basket from Howard and a Van Lith 2-pointer at the shot clock buzzer tied things up 16-16 with 22.3 seconds to play. Neither team scored in those final seconds, meaning the game would go into an overtime period. 

Canada scored first to make it 17-16, but on the United States’ first overtime possession, Howard hit a fadeaway 2-pointer to win the game for Team USA, 18-17. Just like she was able to find her shooting stroke for Team USA against Australia and Spain, she found it when the Americans needed it most against Canada. 

Howard finished with a team-high seven points, while Van Lith was close behind with five points of her own. Burdick finished with three points and five rebounds and Hamby added three points to her Olympic totals as well. 

With an undefeated day in the books, Team USA is now undoubtedly rejuvenated and ready for its final game of pool play. The United States takes on China at 1:05 p.m. EST on August 3. 

Men’s 3x3 vs. France 

The men’s squad came into day four of Olympic play with its backs against the wall. Four games of pool play were finished and still no victories to show for their group. 

Still without Jimmer Fredette, the other members of Team USA were going to have to take it upon themselves to step up in his absence, which is what they ultimately did. 

Canyon Barry was arguably the biggest lifesaver for Team USA, as his 2-pointers kept the Americans in the game for both 3x3 games. France countered those baskets from Barry with 2-pointers of its own, but the Americans were not going to let another team stomp on them. 

France held a 16-12 lead with 3:20 to go, but once again, Team USA fought back. A Dylan Travis 2-pointer and a 2-pointer and a 1-pointer from Barry gave the United States a 17-16 lead with just over a minute and a half to play. 

Barry scored the last four points for Team USA, and finally, the Americans’ losing ways were over. The emotion on Barry’s face said it all as the United States was able to put away France 21-19 for its first win on French soil. 

Barry led the effort with 16 points and two rebounds. Kareem Maddox finished with three points and two rebounds while Travis finished with two points and three rebounds. 

Men’s 3x3 vs. China 

Carrying the momentum from picking up its first victory of the 2024 Olympic Games, Team USA sought a win over China in its second pool play game of the day. 

The Americans scored first, as Barry picked up right where he left off in the earlier slate of games to give Team USA a 1-0 lead. 

As he did against France and as he has done throughout pool play, frankly, Barry continued to score in bunches for the Americans. His shooting, coupled with his ability to get to the rim kept Team USA in the game with a fighting chance to win. 

Barry had a big-time block on one of China’s players, and on the subsequent possession for Team USA, drew a foul to give the United States some momentum. With just under two and a half minutes to play, Team USA led China 16-12. Travis’ 2-pointer extended the Americans’ lead to 18-12, and victory was creeping that much closer. 

China was able to cut the deficit to two points, 19-17, with under a minute to play, but with time still left on the clock, Barry hit yet another 2-pointer to end it. The Americans had won their second-straight pool play game 21-17. 

Barry had another game in which he scored double-figures, finishing with 14 points. Against China, he brought his 2-point tally up to seven on the day including his total versus France. Maddox chipped in four points and 10 rebounds and Travis scored three points. 

The United States flipped the script on day four of pool play, turning an 0-4 record to a 2-4 record. Team USA’s final pool play contest is against the Netherlands at 1:05 p.m. EST on August 4. 

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