Team USA narrowly escapes embarrassment against feisty South Sudan in exhibition

LeBron James' late layup saves the day

South Sudan led by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter

LAS VEGAS -- Team USA escaped with a narrow 101-100 victory over South Sudan in an exhibition game on Saturday night, thanks to a late layup from LeBron James.

South Sudan, which has never qualified for the Olympics, led by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter before the Americans rallied. James' layup with 8 seconds left gave the U.S. the lead for good.

The win was a relief for the U.S., which has struggled in recent years. In 2021, Team USA lost an exhibition game to another African nation, Nigeria, in Las Vegas. That Nigerian team had far more NBA talent than the South Sudanese team, which is made up mostly of college players.

The U.S. will open the 2024 Olympics against France on July 25.