EGN NEWS DESK
The U.S. males’s Olympic basketball crew gained a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal on Saturday night time at Bercy Arena, besting France 98-87 in entrance of a raucous hometown crowd. The recreation was a rematch of the Tokyo gold medal recreation three years in the past, and as soon as once more, France couldn’t match the American firepower, which is chock-full of future hoops Hall of Famers.
Stephen Curry led a balanced U.S. assault with 24 factors, together with 4 essential 3-pointers late within the recreation. He merely took over the sport. Curry completed with 8-threes on the night time, and relished each second of destroying France’s upset desires.
Team USA continued its run of world dominance on the lads’s aspect, ever for the reason that crew misplaced two preliminary spherical video games on the Athens Olympics—together with a blowout loss to Puerto Rico—and fall within the semis to Argentina. The U.S. gained a bronze medal in these Games, then revamped this system, getting the nation’s finest gamers to decide to enjoying world competitions commonly. This is LeBron James’ third Olympic gold medal. Kevin Durant, the all-time main Olympic scorer in U.S. historical past, now has 4. That’s an all-time Olympic file for a males’s participant.
This Olympic gold, nonetheless, is a primary for Stephen Curry, the two-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA champion who revolutionized basketball together with his long-range taking pictures stroke. Curry was essential to the crew’s thrilling 95-91 comeback victory towards Serbia, taking pictures 9-for-14 from lengthy vary Thursday, and making two free throws with 8 seconds left to seal the victory.
“I understood the second and the stakes and the uncomfortable nature of being down for a lot of the sport and having, you understand, 10 minutes to return again,” Curry stated after that recreation.
“I got here into this expertise considering that this might be my one and solely time to play within the Olympics and expertise the stage,” stated Curry. “So that was a part of my sense of aid and pleasure. I don’t wish to be on the primary crew since ‘04 that did not make it to the gold medal recreation and get a gold medal. My one alternative is right here. That stuff, you are fascinated by whilst you’re nonetheless simply making an attempt to have enjoyable enjoying the sport that you understand.”
All Olympic match lengthy, the U.S. crew introduced right into a next-man-up mentality, whether or not leaning on Durant to make 8 straight pictures towards Serbia within the opening recreation, or Curry to assist bail the U.S. out of the semis together with his flurry, after struggling to shoot together with his regular effectiveness for many of his time in France. James recorded a triple-double—16 factors, 12 rebounds and 10 assists—towards Serbia within the semi.
“There’s strain,” stated Curry. “Whoever the 12-man group was, we’re all right here to win. We’re all giving up quite a lot of time over our summers. We perceive the satisfaction of representing your nation. We perceive the expectations. So there’s quite a lot of like-mindedness there that, truthfully, we do not even have to talk about.”
Saturday’s win additionally grants USA’s Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, a measure of satisfaction. During these Games Embiid, who was born in Cameroon however holds citizenship within the U.S. and France, has been heckled by French followers due to determination to play for the U.S. moderately than the host nation. Nothing modified on Saturday: the Bercy Arena followers have been delighted when younger French phenom Victor Wembenyama, for instance, stripped the ball from Embiid as he tried to shoot within the first quarter.
“They’re gonna boo me. I’m gonna return at them and inform them to suck it,” stated Embiid earlier than Saturday’s gold medal recreation.
On Friday, Curry was requested about his takeaway from the comeback that enabled Team USA to play for, and in the end win, the Olympic title. “The entire fourth quarter was unreal,” stated Curry. “I’m certain it will hopefully when we have now a medal round our neck, gold, tomorrow you’ll reminisce on all of it.”
Let the reminiscences start.
