For this final between France and the United States, it is Tony Parker who hits the three shots at the Arena Bercy. There are some great people in the front row, with Thierry Henry, Teddy Riner, Pau Gasol, Scottie Pippen and Snoop Dogg. On the field, Victor Wembanyama is not pushed around as much as in previous matches and he takes advantage of it.
Kevin Durant, who has already explained that he does not like the French team, begins to warm up with Frank Ntilikina while the match is played at a strange pace, between lightning accelerations and a little trot.
France, however, did not display the aggression of the last two matches and Anthony Edwards closed this first quarter (20-15) with a 3-pointer against his teammate Rudy Gobert, whom he did not hesitate to tease…
Guerschon Yabusele climbs on LeBron James!
While the American 3-pointers were not going in, France briefly took the lead again (25-24). Vincent Collet asked for the support of a crowd that was struggling to get excited. But by leaving open 3-pointers to the American shooters, they ended up making them, and Team USA regained control of the match.
It's still rough after a foul by Devin Booker on Nando De Colo, with Guerschon Yabusele getting involved. The “Dancing Bear” is the one who displays the most aggression, and he actually dunks on LeBron James! A dunk with the foul that earns him the “MVP”, “MVP” from the public. Against these American “Avengers”, that's not nothing.
He also concluded his first half at the buzzer, to point to 15 points. He and Victor Wembanyama (13 points) carried the attack of the Blues, against a United States team that seemed to control its match (49-41).
Evan Fournier and Nando De Colo boost the Blues
Kevin Durant puts Team USA back to +10 from the start. Isaïa Cordinier can't get through the American defense and the lost balls hurt the Blues, who see the gap grow while Joel Embiid causes fouls. After another 3-pointer from Stephen Curry (61-47), Vincent Collet has to call a timeout.
Nando De Colo revives the Blues from afar and Victor Wembanyama often puts the lid on the French failures. “Wemby” scores a rare 3-pointer and France brings the gap back under ten points (65-56). And it continues with Evan Fournier! The United States seem asleep, like this throw-in concluded by Evan Fournier.
The full-back who came off the bench did a lot of good for the Blues, just like Nando De Colo, who made some good entries and allowed France, at the buzzer, to only be two possessions behind (72-66) with ten minutes to go!
Stephen Curry's Killer Money Time
Except that the Blues fail to continue their “run” in the fourth quarter. France is never very far away, but the gap is always around ten points and we even start to hear “USA”, “USA” in an Arena Bercy that will never have managed to get excited for the French Team…
The Blues have several chances to get back in the game but the lost balls hurt. LeBron James and his team are not very focused either. Nando De Colo brings France back (82-76) and after a save from Victor Wembanyama, the gap is only three points (82-79)! The Arena Bercy finally starts to believe… before Stephen Curry scores a 3-pointer that sounds like an uppercut for the French team.
The “Splash Brother” puts another one in stride, but Nicolas Batum responds and France is still only two possessions behind (90-84). But it's Stephen Curry again who strikes, from afar, to increase the gap…
Stephe Curry scores a final, totally crazy 3-pointer and Team USA wins (98-87). The greatest shooter in history will probably only participate in the Olympics once, and he only wanted gold.
