USA claims gold over France behind late-game heroics from Steph Curry
For the fifth consecutive Olympic Games, the U.S. men's basketball team claimed gold after a 98–87 win over France on Saturday, behind late-game heat check heroics from USA guard Stephen Curry.
In the final three minutes, as France pushed to regain a lead, getting within three, Curry would kill all hope of momentum for the Frenchmen with four straight threes.
Each of Curry’s four threes late in the fourth quarter came when the U.S. needed it as France desperately inched for momentum. The first came with the USA up by three (2:47), the next two up by six with under two minutes left, and finally, a dagger fadeaway three with 35 seconds left over two French defenders to put the icing on a golden finish.
“At that point, your mind goes blank. You don't really care about the setting or the scenario or anything, it's just a shot. Thankfully, that one went in, it settles down and after that, it's just rhythm and flow and confidence,” Curry said.
The NBA’s all-time three-point leader finished with a team-high 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting from behind the arc, marking his first Olympic gold medal.
The atmosphere was energetic from start to finish in an entertaining back-and-forth affair. The mainly French crowd was a sold-out 12,121 in attendance at Bercy Arena, France. After 10 lead changes in the first half, the latter half would be the opposite, with the U.S. never surrendering its lead.
The U.S. started the fourth quarter with a six-point lead (72-66), with France inching its way back from down 14 points in the third quarter.
Both teams exchanged almost all their buckets to start the fourth quarter until a France push from 20-year-old NBA rising star Victor Wembanyama, who finished with a game-high 26 points, put them within three after a putback dunk with three minutes to go.
Then Curry happened. With his signature ‘Night Night’ celebration making its first Olympic appearance.
With the U.S.’s win over France, USA forward Kevin Durant, 35, became the first player to win a record-breaking fourth Olympic gold in the Paris 2024 Games. Winning four consecutive Olympics: London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016, Tokyo 2020, and now Paris 2024.
Durant finished second on the team with 15 points.
At 39, USA forward LeBron James' impact continued this summer for the U.S. and, more importantly, when they needed it most in the final game of Paris 2024 with a double-double outing. James finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in 32 minutes of action.
He claimed his third Olympic gold medal — in Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Paris 2024.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer was named the Basketball MVP of Paris 2024.
