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 last 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 a few 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 greatest offensive recreation of the Olympics, scoring 26 factors. Guerschon Yabusele added 20, however Isaia Cordinier — whose offensive contributions had been key to France’s bounce-back after a slim victory over Japan and a humbling loss to Germany in group play — was held scoreless.
France linked on simply 9 of 30 three-point makes an attempt and america held a 31-9 benefit in fast-break factors.
Each groups had been locked in defensively in a tense first half that featured 10 lead modifications.
Wembanyama soared for a dunk that gave France an 11-10 lead and despatched the Bercy Enviornment crowd right into a frenzy.
The People had 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 way of site 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 last –
The dream last drew a raft of luminaries. French President Emmanuel Macron was in the home and so had 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 footwear and opened the scoring with a dunk.
Curry, the 36-point hero of america’ come-from-behind victory over Serbia within the semi-finals, bought 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 present the US their greatest 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 heart 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 Helpful 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.