PARIS: The United States won the men's Olympic basketball crown on Saturday with a 98-87 win over France, taking its Olympic gold medal tally to 17.
In the finals of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, LeBron James and the American team against the stars of the NBA again proved too much for France, despite the efforts of NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama.
France trailed by 14-3 with 3:04 left for Wembanyama's dunk, but Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry made a three-pointer — one of his four. no less than three minutes — and the United States. unrelenting power to the end.
Stephen Curry celebrates with the American flag. (REUTERS)
Curry finished with three pointers – including a rainbow over a leaping Wembanyama – and led the US to 24 points.
“You're just amazing,” James said of Curry. “If you have him on your side you just try to stay and find another way on the other side but keep looking for him, keep getting the ball.”
Curry said of his late-game heroics: “I was just trying to calm us down.”
“All we want to do is get good shots,” Curry said. “We haven't had a good asset in a while.
“(Finally) the strength was with us. At that time your mind becomes empty. You don't really care about the setting or the scenario or anything. It was just a shot.”
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each added 15 points and James scored 14 with six rebounds, 10 assists, a steal and a block.
For Durant, it was the fourth Olympic gold for the American men. James won his third and four-time NBA champion Curry claimed his first in his first Olympic appearance.
“There's a lot of relief,” Curry said. “It wasn't easy, but, oh man, I'm happy. It's everything I want to be and more, so I'm happy. “
Wembanyama had his best offensive game of the Olympics, scoring 26 points. Guerschon Yabusele added 20.
France connected on just nine of 30 three-pointers and the USA had a 31-9 advantage in fast break points.
Both teams were locked on defense in a tight first half that featured 10 turnovers.
Wembanyama ran away with a dunk that gave France an 11-10 lead and sent the Bercy Arena crowd into a frenzy.
Victor Wembanyama from France. (REUTERS)
The Americans soon went back in front when Booker made a layup from James and Jayson Tatum stole James and let loose for a dunk.
Down five after the quarter, France took a 25-24 lead on a Bilal Coulibaly dunk, but the USA continued to capitalize on France's deficit.
James drove through traffic for a layup, drew a foul and drove through the US bench before making a free throw to put the US up 37-31 and take a 49-point lead. They were -41 at halftime.
The end of the dream attracted an interpreter. French President Emmanuel Macron was at home and so was sprint star Sha'Carri Richardson, a day after leading the US 4x100m relay to gold.
James made his intentions known early, taking the court in golden shoes and opening the scoring with a dunk.
Curry was hot in the second half, scoring 36 points in a semifinal win over Serbia to give the U.S. its largest lead of the game, 61. -47, by three points early in the third.
France continued to press and were down by just six before the fourth quarter, but had to watch the American players celebrate at the end, wearing flags.
A dejected Wembanyama could only hug his teammates, but with a silver medal around his neck, he called his experience “unbelievable” and said he would try to return the favor in Los Angeles. the year 2028.
“I will go gold in four years,” he said.
On Saturday, Serbia won bronze with an emphatic 93-83 win over reigning world champions Germany.
Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic posted a double-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to lead Serbia, which lost 95-91 in USA in the semifinals.
