PARIS: The United States beat France 98-87 on Saturday to win its fifth straight Olympic men's basketball crown and take its tally to 17 Olympic golds.
In a rematch of the finals at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, an NBA star-studded LeBron James and American team proved too much for France despite the efforts of sensational NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama.
France cut a 14-point deficit to three with 3 minutes, 04 seconds to play on Wembanyama's put-back dunk, but Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry drilled a three-pointer — one of four with less than three minutes remaining — and the United States relentlessly drove to finish.
Stephen Curry celebrates with an American flag. (REUTERS)
Curry finished with eight three-pointers — including a rainbow over a leaping Vembanyama — and led America's scoring with 24 points.
“You just wonder,” James said of Curry. “With him on your side, you just try to get stops and find other ways on the other end but find him, keep getting him the ball.”
Curry said of his late-game heroics: “I was just trying to settle us down.”
“We wanted to get a good shot,” Curry said. “It's been a while since we've had a good possession.
“(In the end) momentum was on our side. At that point, your mind goes blank. You don't really care about the setting or the landscape or anything. It's just a shot.”
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each scored 15 points, while James added 14 points with 6 rebounds, 10 assists, a steal and a block.
It is an American men's record fourth Olympic gold for Durant. James claimed his first in his third and four-time NBA champion Curry made his first Olympic appearance.
“There's a lot of relief,” Curry said. “It wasn't easy but, damn, I'm excited, man. It's everything I wanted and more, so I'm excited.”
Vembanyama had his best offensive game of the Olympics, scoring 26 points. Guerschon Yabusele added 20.
France hit just 9 of 30 three-point attempts and the United States outshot 31-9 in fast break points.
Both teams were locked defensively in a tense first half with 10 lead changes.
Wembanyama soared for a dunk that put France up 11-10 and sent the Bercy Arena crowd into a frenzy.
France's Victor Wembanya in action. (REUTERS)
The Americans were soon back in front when Booker laid up James' back-to-back pass and James' steal left Jayson Tatum for a dunk.
Trailing by five after one quarter, France took a 25-24 lead on a Bilal Coulibaly dunk, but the U.S. continued to capitalize on France's misses in transition.
James drove through traffic for a layup, fouled and flexed the U.S. bench before making a free throw to put the United States up 37-31, and they led 49-41 at halftime.
The dream finale drew a raft of publishers. French President Emmanuel Macron was at home and so was sprint star Sha'kari Richardson, a day after he won gold in the US 4x100m relay.
James signaled his intentions early, taking the court in gold shoes and opening the scoring with a dunk.
Curry, who scored 36 points in the semifinal win over Serbia, gave the USA its biggest lead of the game, 61-47, in the second half and a three-point lead in the third.
France kept up the pressure and only had six down heads in the fourth quarter, but in the end the American players had to watch as the flag was raised and celebrated.
A dejected Vembanyama could only hug his teammates, but with a silver medal around his neck he called the experience “unbelievable” and said he would try to return the favor in Los Angeles in 2028.
He said, 'I am going for gold after four years.
Earlier on Saturday, Serbia defeated World Cup champion Germany 93-83 to win the bronze medal.
Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic posted a triple-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to lead Serbia to a 95-91 loss to the United States in the semifinals.
