There are times where you want to throttle each and every player for 30 minutes, yet there’s the other ten minutes where you’re speechless and don’t want to blink at the risk of missing something spectacular.

The Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde appearance was on full display today against Australia in the Quarterfinals. The Aussies used a tough approach, fouling every driver and keeping the paint locked up, and it managed to keep them in the game for the first three quarters. The United States carried a 14-point lead into halftime, but saw it quickly cut to three points following an 11-0 run by their opponents.

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With his teammates unable to convert and his team facing an unheralded upset, James would be the one to lead the team from the brink of disaster. Facing an 84-82 deficit against Lithuania, the reigning league and Finals MVP would score nine of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Americans to a 99-94 victory. James hit a three-pointer to give Team USA a cushion and layups throughout. LeBron became the only player on the American team that was making a conscious effort at taking it inside against a packed lane.

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