THE UNITED STATES won their fifth straight Olympic men’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 final three years ago, LeBron James and the US team stacked with NBA stars once again proved too much for France’s sensational NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama and his teammates.
France sliced a 14-point deficit to three with 3min 04sec to play, but Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry drilled a three-pointer and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant nailed two free throws as the USA powered to the finish.
It was Curry in particular who swung the contest in the USA’s favour as he struck three-pointers at several hinge moments in the game.
The Golden State Warrior produced a masterclass in shooting, nailing eight threes and leading his side in scoring with 24 points.
Curry’s final three — a memorable play in which he carved a half-yard of space and sunk one over a French double team of blockers to give the Americans a nine-point lead with 34 seconds remaining — was the dagger to the hosts’ hearts.
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 record fourth Olympic gold. James earned his third and Curry, a four-time NBA champion, claimed his first in his first Olympic appearance.
