On the world champion Celtics, Jrue Vacation, Derrick White, and Jayson Tatum are stars. After a Finals run and on Group USA, they’ve taken on function participant roles. From Tatum sitting out a gaggle play contest to White being the glue between Pink and Blue, Boston’s trio have taken a backseat of their quest for gold.
Of their 122-87 quarterfinal win over Brazil, it was the elder statemen that confirmed out. LeBron James had 12 factors and 9 assists earlier than leavin the sport within the third quarter with a reduce over his eye. Joel Embiid (with an outdated man’s sport) did harm with 14 factors and 7 rebounds. Kevin Durant turned the all-time Group USA main scorer with 11.
The Celtics discovered methods to chip in, too.
USA defeats Brazil 122-87:
Jrue Vacation: 9 factors, 3 assists, 2 blocks in 17 minsJayson Tatum: 5 factors, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal in 20 minsDerrick White: 5 factors, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks in 18 minutes
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) August 6, 2024
Vacation obtained the beginning after lacking the final sport with a sprained ankle and completed a whopping +21 in beneath seventeen minutes of play. His backcourt associate in White had practically half a triple double with 5-4-4. The numbers don’t precisely stick out, however their intangibles on protection do.
In head coach Steve Kerr’s drop protection, it’s essential for the guards to have the ability to combat over screens and recuperate to the ball. Of Group USA’s seven blocks, the Celtics contributed 5 with White and Vacation swatting two a bit and Tatum rejecting one other.
Tatum scored 5 factors because the eleventh man off the bench, together with this alley oop from James:
He additionally unveiled these new signature sneakers:
The Individuals will now face Nikola Jokic and Serbia within the semis. France and Germany are on the opposite aspect of the medal spherical bracket.