Team USA survives HUGE scare vs South Sudan as LeBron James and Co fight back from 14 POINT halftime deficit to beat world No 33 right at the death on eve of Olympics

USA's hoops squad overcame a awesome scare successful 1 of its last Olympic warmups connected Saturday aft fighting backmost from a 14-point halftime shortage against South Sudan.

Eight days earlier their opener astatine nan Paris Games, nan likes of LeBron James and Steph Curry were forced to excavation heavy successful a melodramatic 101-100 triumph complete nan world's 33rd-ranked broadside successful London.

South Sudan, who only person 2 players pinch NBA acquisition successful Carlik Jones and Wenyen Gabriel, moreover took nan lead successful nan last 20 seconds against a squad packed pinch nan league's biggest stars.

However, pinch 8 seconds remaining LeBron showed why he is regarded by immoderate arsenic nan top subordinate of each time, pinch nan Lakers icon pulling retired a game-winning layup correct astatine nan decease to spare USA's blushes.

LeBron was 1 of fewer players to locomotion distant from nan crippled pinch his caput held precocious aft signaling 23 points and six rebounds connected nan night.

This adjacent shave serves arsenic different immense wake-up telephone to USA connected nan eve of this summer's Olympics, pinch their first group crippled against Serbia to travel adjacent Sunday.

Earlier this period DailyMail.com revealed that insiders fearfulness USA Basketball's pursuit of different golden badge successful Paris could beryllium derailed by 'ego and different bulls***'.

Team USA  has won golden astatine each of nan past 4 Olympics and each but 1 Games since 1988 - but preparations for this summertime person not been smooth.

Despite boasting a star-filled roster that includes Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid arsenic good arsenic all-time awesome LeBron, Steve Kerr's men were dealt different scare against Australia connected Monday.

They recovered from that sluggish show and questions complete nan team's harmony to thrash Serbia connected Wednesday, only to move 2 steps backwards again pinch Saturday's constrictive triumph complete South Sudan.

These caller woes person prompted concerns that USA could look 'embarrassment' successful Paris pinch players accused of being retired for themselves alternatively than nan team.  

'They will ne'er perceive nan extremity of it if they lose, they are expected to beryllium nan champion successful nan world, (so) enactment for illustration it and don't fto ego and different BS return complete what should beryllium automatic,' a root told DailyMail.com

'But pinch their caller play, moreover though they person won these warmup games, it is simply a spot fishy and troubling that they aren't dominating. 

'It's making galore pinch USA basketball, nan coaches and nan group that person put nan squad together for illustration Grant Hill beryllium highly tense that they won't beryllium capable to decorativeness nan occupation and extremity up losing, which would beryllium an unthinkable embarrassment. 

'The ego that lies wrong nan team, everyone is retired for their ain and not for nan squad arsenic a whole. That tin and will beryllium a disaster if they each don't alteration nan thought process, they person to play for illustration a team. 

'They haven't looked bully and person been exposed, and galore world teams that person played together longer are much cohesive and person a decent chance of beating nan USA team.'