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.
That country is becoming a basquet case.
Its purple alright. Doubt they were making a political statement though.
Isn’t the away colours for Real Madrid, Spain’s capital’s team, purple?, or at least isn’t there purple in the trim of their home jersey? Does that also mean Real Madrid have links to the republican, anti monarchy movement? Doubt it.
@Jonathan Nolan: if you look at Real Madrid’s crest you will find the same colour as the trim . As for the other question you posed the answer is in the clubs very name .. Real means Royal ..
Ah stop, what a load of shite!
It’s actually blue but looks like purple on camera . The Spanish football federation are being investigated for corruption at the highest level the president is out on bail . I imagine they spent little time looking at the fine details ( while signing with Adidas for another 10 years or so) . A bit of a PR ballsup at the first view . However all is not lost because some political commentators have jumped in at the deep end people are now pledging to buy the jersey to spite them. Never a dull moment over here !