VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — Jayson Tatum went from not playing to starting.
The U.S. Olympic basketball team made two lineup changes going into its game against South Sudan on Wednesday night, with Tatum — who didn’t play in the opener of the Paris Games for the Americans — moving into the starting lineup along with Anthony Davis.
Jrue Holiday and Joel Embiid, who started against Serbia in the Olympic opener for the U.S., were moved to reserve roles for the South Sudan game.
It was not a surprise that Tatum was getting minutes in the second game. U.S. coach Steve Kerr flatly said twice this week that the leading scorer for the NBA champion Boston Celtics last season would be in the rotation against South Sudan, and that he wasn’t for the opener against Serbia based solely on combinations.
“Jayson is the ultimate pro, a champion, and he handled it well and he’s going to be ready for the next one,” Kerr said.
Tatum is bidding for his second Olympic gold medal, after being on the team that won the title at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Wednesday’s game was a rematch of an exhibition game held in London on July 20, when the Americans needed a layup from LeBron James with 8 seconds left to beat South Sudan 101-100.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games