Despite a living reminder of the U.S.’s last non-gold medal, former 2004 bronze medalist Stephon Marbury, sitting courtside, the Team USA men’s basketball program managed to vanquish Team France to secure the club’s fifth straight gold medal on Saturday.
Golden State Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry was special tonight for the U.S., notching his second straight game of making eight or more triples.
The Americans jumped out to a 20-15 first quarter lead, but Team France, led by All-Defensive centers Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, would not go away quietly.
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France went on an 8-0 run in the second quarter to secure a 25-24 victory. U.S. head coach Steve Kerr quickly responded by slotting in Miami Heat All-Star center Bam Adebayo. Starting center Joel Embiid did not play at all in the second frame.
The Americans appeared to carve out a convincing lead in the third quarter, but France came roaring back late in the fourth.
Wembanyama got Team France to within a single possession, 82-79, with a critical putback dunk within three minutes of regulation.
A flurry of Curry helped the Americans close the door on Team France late. His seventh triple to put the U.S. up 93-84 with under two minutes remaining was essentially the dagger. His Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, quickly subbed him out for Jrue Holiday in a bit of a hockey-type offense-defense substitution.
Victor Wembanyama quickly responded with a triple, putting France within six points, 93-87.
Curry made an insane eighth triple in a double team, putting the Americans up 96-87. Devin Booker put the finishing touches on the victory with a breakaway dunk to secure Team USA’s final advantage, a 98-87 win.
This marks the U.S.’s 17th gold medal in Olympic basketball, and its eighth gold in the last nine Olympic tournaments.
This story will be updated…
