Facing elimination and down a man due to injury, Team USA’s 3×3 men’s team faced a tough challenge against the Netherlands in the final game of the Olympics’ pool round, ultimately suffering a heavy defeat with a final score of 21-6, told Paris 2024 Olympics.
As the teams took to the court at 7 p.m., NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was in attendance. Paris time. The sun behind the backboard cast long shadows over the Place de la Concorde blacktop. Team USA was introduced first, with the injured Jimmer Fredette leading the lineup out of the tunnel. Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox, and Dylan Travis were left to play every minute of the game against the Netherlands.
Travis managed to score Team USA’s first points with a two-pointer from the left side, but the U.S. team struggled in the opening minutes. They allowed easy backdoor baskets and an alley-oop while air-balling multiple shots and committing turnovers. Despite these issues, their defense kept them in the game initially.
The Netherlands took a 5-4 lead just under three minutes into the game and quickly extended it to 12-5 with a series of two-point shots just before the halfway mark. The Netherlands’ defense and shotmaking prowess were too much for the United States to handle. Once the score reached 15-6, frustration was evident on Team USA. Maddox fouled Worthy de Jong hard, sending him crashing to the ground and drawing a technical foul. This allowed the Netherlands to extend their lead to 17-6. De Jong continued to fire and score, and when a timeout was called, the Netherlands led 19-6. Fredette tried to rally his teammates, but it was too late. With one final two-pointer, de Jong ended the game and Team USA’s Olympic run with a score of 21-6.
After the game, the players stood behind the Place de la Concorde arena, catching their breath and gazing up at the Paris sky. Maddox discussed the difficulties of fielding a competitive 3×3 team in the United States, where funding and opportunities are scarce compared to other countries.
“It’s not visible except for every four years in the United States,” Maddox said. “There’s no professional-level tournaments there. The closest we get is probably Edmonton, Canada … The team we just played has been building and refining that very team for this very moment for seven years now, and we’re just in a little bit of a different situation. Those are all full-time 3×3 guys.”
Travis added, “We have ‘USA’ across the chest, we’re expected to win. People that don’t know 3×3 will see this and think, ‘What the heck are those guys doing? They’re terrible.’ But if you know the game, it’s almost impossible to win at this stage. It’s so much intensity, and it takes so much out of you. To win two games, and two came down to the wire, it was a hell of a feat for us.”