US Men’s Basketball Team Eases Past Brazil, Rolls Into Olympic Semifinals

Kevin Durant (7) of Team United States drives past Joao Cardoso (45) of Team Brazil during a Men's basketball quarterfinal game between Team United States and Team Brazil on day eleven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in Paris on Aug. 6, 2024. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

PARIS—All the favored teams in the first three men’s basketball quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics had problems. Canada lost to France. Serbia had to erase a 24-point deficit to beat Australia. Germany needed to shake off a double-digit deficit before beating Greece.

So, going into the fourth and final game of the night, the United States knew what it had to do.