2024 Paris Olympic Games: Coverage from day 13
The USA men’s basketball team had to rely on all its brilliance to claw its way back from 17 points down and secure a passage into the Olympic Games final against France.
TEAM USA has pulled off its latest Olympics heist.
As a “godlike” Steph Curry and evergreen star LeBron James finally stopped the rot to erase a 17-point second-half deficit against Serbia, America has a chance to win its fifth consecutive Olympics gold medal.
In a game that James said was up there as a career-highlight despite two decades of greatness including four NBA titles, America looked dead and buried multiple times.
Down by 11 points at the final break, they finally committed to team defence as Curry’s stunning shooting performance continued on a night where he hit nine three pointers and 36 points.
Now after that 95-91 victory America is preparing for another “dogfight” against home nation France in the gold medal game on Sunday morning Australian time.
Team USA only beat the emerging basketball nation by five points in the Tokyo gold medal game and the home nation is in stunning form while adding No.1 overall draft pick Victor Wembenyama to its star-studded side.
Scroll to the end of the report to review all the action from Day 13 at the Olympics.
The brilliant Kevin Durant had a quiet night against a Serbian side led by triple NBA MVP Nikola Jokic (17 points, 11 assists) but hailed Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Curry in his first Olympics tournament.
“Steph, that was a god-like performance. Man, that was tough,” Durant said.
“It felt like he was struggling throughout the whole tournament and we always said that each night it could be someone different. Tonight he showed up in a way that, man, god was with him.”
He (god) was with us through Steph. It was one of the greatest games I’ve ever seen him play.”
This was a comeback from the clouds by the USA, who finally played a smaller final-quarter line-up that contested every Serbian shot then flew up the floor to attack.
Most of that momentum change came as Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, booed by French crowds for declining to represent their nation, tried to turn the game with powerful offence.
With 3.39 on the clock a trademark James drive to the basket tied scores after Team USA had trailed for most of the contest.
Then with 127 seconds left Curry’s three-pointer pushed America ahead for the first time in the second half as he verballed the Serbian bench, with the game still up for grabs until his final two free-throws with under 10 seconds remaining.
James had 16 points and 10 assists and a heap of big moments as he searches for his third Olympic title to cap an epic career.
James was asked where comeback against Serbia ranks.
“I mean, it’s up there. I’m 39 years old going into my 22nd NBA season. I don’t know how many opportunities and moments that I’ll get to be able to compete for something big. And tonight was a big game.”
As America comes to grips with its increasing infallibility on basketball’s world stage, the French team is ready and waiting according to Durant.
“(It will be) another dog fight. It’s going to be at their home and we know it’s going to be the most watched game since I’ve been playing FIBA. I’m excited for it and we’re ready for the challenge.”
This game was another incredible chapter in a tournament already dubbed as the most competitive in Olympic men’s history.
Down 42-25 early in the second stanza, America threw up a series of bricks and low-percentage shots and gave Serbia a host of second-chance opportunities.
There was no greater sight of the shift of power than Serbia’s Jokic blocking James’ shot attempt and then surging down the floor to win a key basket and foul to expand the lead to 17 points.
The Dream Team took all before them in 1992 and then 12 years later America didn’t even make the final of the 2004 version of the Olympics.
But since then as the Redeem Team took gold in Beijing the Americans have won four straight Olympic gold medals.
It has never been plain sailing given FIBA rules which reward team play and strong-bodied defence, yet any American loss in Olympic competition exposes the world superpower to accusations it is a laughing stock.
USA had breezed through the pool rounds winning 110-84 against Serbia, 103-86 against South Sudan and 104-83 against Puerto Rico before knocking off Brazil 122-87 in their quarter final.
Earlier, France’s men’s team and its raucous supporters danced in unison to celebrate after overcoming a first-half deficit against Germany to book their spot in the Olympic final.
While the American women have been the Olympic games’ most dominant champions, France lost by only five points in their Tokyo gold medal clash after beating the United States in an earlier pool game.
They would have believed they were certain to play America before Serbia’s early ascendancy in the later semi final.
As NBA star Victor Wembebyama had big moments in the comeback but went four for 17 with a series of long-range misses, France rallied to win 73-69.
Wembenyama’s free throw miss in the final minute opened the door for Germany to tie scores but France came up big in the final moments to move through to a Saturday decider.
Guerschon Yabusele, nicknamed the Dancing Bear for his powerful physique and spectacular power moves, was immense with 17 points as the Real Madrid EuroLeague player strutted his stuff to MVP chants from the crowd.
Live coverage below.
Originally published as 2024 Paris Olympic Games: Coverage from day 13
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