America gained their fifth straight Olympic males’s basketball crown on Saturday, holding off a battling France 98-87 to take their tally of Olympic golds to 17.
In a rematch of the Tokyo Olympics closing three years in the past, LeBron James and the US group stacked with NBA stars as soon as once more proved an excessive amount of for France’s sensational NBA Rookie of the 12 months Victor Wembanyama and his teammates.
France sliced a 14-point deficit to 3 with 3min 04sec to play, however Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry drilled a three-pointer and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant nailed two free throws as america relentlessly powered to the end.
Curry completed with eight three-pointers and led the US scoring with 24 factors.
Durant and Devin Booker added 15 apiece and James scored 14 with six rebounds, 10 assists a steal and a block.
For Durant it was a file fourth Olympic gold. James earned his third and Curry, a four-time NBA champion, claimed his first in his first Olympic look.
Wembanyama had his finest offensive recreation of the Olympics, scoring 26 factors. Guerschon Yabusele added 20, however Isaia Cordinier — whose offensive contributions have been key to France’s bounce-back after a slender victory over Japan and a humbling loss to Germany in group play — was held scoreless.
France related on simply 9 of 30 three-point makes an attempt and america held a 31-9 benefit in fast-break factors.
Each groups have been locked in defensively in a tense first half that featured 10 lead adjustments.
Wembanyama soared for a dunk that gave France an 11-10 lead and despatched the Bercy Enviornment crowd right into a frenzy.
The People have been quickly again in entrance when Booker made a layup off a behind-the-back go from James and a steal from James set Jayson Tatum unfastened for a dunk.
Down by 5 after one quarter, France took a 25-24 lead on a Bilal Coubilaly dunk, however the US continued to capitalize in transition off of France’s misses.
James drove by visitors for a layup, drawing a foul and flexing on the US bench earlier than making the free-throw to place america up 37-31, they usually led 49-41 at halftime.
– Dream closing –
The dream closing drew a raft of luminaries. French President Emmanuel Macron was in the home and so have been a bevy of former NBA stars together with Scottie Pippen, Pau Gasol, Carmelo Anthony and France’s Tony Parker.
Dash star Sha’Carri Richardson was courtside, a day after she anchored the US 4x100m relay to gold.
James signalled his intentions early. First out for pre-game warm-ups, he then took the court docket for the official introductions in golden sneakers and opened the scoring with a dunk.
Curry, the 36-point hero of america’ come-from-behind victory over Serbia within the semi-finals, acquired off to a gradual begin however heated up within the second half.
He drilled a step-back three-pointer over Cordinier and made one other to provide the US their largest lead of the sport, 61-47, early within the third quarter.
France continued to press. Nando De Colo discovered Evan Fournier for a three-pointer and De Colo got here up with a steal and raced for a layup that pulled France inside six. It stood at 72-66 heading into the fourth quarter.
However it doesn’t matter what France threw at them, america discovered the reply and completed their night celebrating collectively at middle court docket draped in US flags.
Earlier Saturday, Serbia gained bronze with a dominant 93-83 victory over World Cup champions Germany.
Three-time NBA Most Invaluable Participant Nikola Jokic posted a triple double of 19 factors, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to guide Serbia, who bounced again lower than 40 hours after a heartbreaking 95-91 loss to america within the semi-finals.