PARIS — It was far from easy, but the United States’ men’s basketball team will go for the gold again.

LeBron James had a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, Stephen Curry scored a game-high 36 points, and the U.S. overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Serbia 95-91 in the semifinals Thursday in Paris.

Kevin Durant had seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter, when the U.S. outscored Serbia 32-15.

The U.S. beat Serbia by 26 points in the group stage, and won its first five games in the tournament by at least 17 points each, but needed a big comeback to advance to the gold medal game for the fifth consecutive Olympics.

Serbia led by 11 points at halftime and 13 heading into the fourth quarter. It was still 78-67 when Durant and Devin Booker made back-to-back 3-pointers with just more than seven minutes remaining to spark a huge game-turning run for the Americans.

The U.S. outscored Serbia 17-6 over the next 3 1/2 minutes to tie it at 84 on James’ layup. After Filip Petrusev put Serbia back in front with a dunk, Curry made a 3-poiner with 2:24 to go to give the U.S. its first lead since midway through the first quarter. The Americans did not trail again.

Serbia got back within two points several times down the stretch, but the U.S. made enough shots to stay ahead.
Beginning with Durant’s 3-pointer with 7:19 remaining, the U.S. made 11 of its last 12 shots from the field.

Joel Embiid contributed 19 points for the U.S. on 8-for-11 shooting. Curry was 9-for-14 from 3-point range and also had eight rebounds.

Bogdan Bogdanovic led Serbia with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic had 17 points, five rebounds and 11 assists. Serbia will play Germany in the bronze medal game Saturday at 4 a.m.

The U.S. will play France in the gold medal game Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The host country beat Germany 73-69 in the other semifinal on Thursday, as Guerschon Yabusele scored 17 points and Isaia Cordinier had 16.

France was the silver medalist in the Tokyo Games in 2021, when it lost to the U.S. in the championship game. It also won the silver medal in 1948 and 2000.

Basketball became a medal sport in 1936 and the U.S. has won 16 of 20 Olympic tournaments. Only three countries besides the U.S. have won the gold medal — the former Soviet Union in 1972 and 1988; Yugoslavia in 1980, when the U.S. boycotted the Games in Moscow; and Argentina in 2004.