1 of 5 | Staff USA’s Stephen Curry raises his arms to have fun after main a win over France 98-87 within the 2024 Summer time Olympics males’s basketball gold medal sport Saturday at Bercy Enviornment in Paris. Picture by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 10 (UPI) — Stephen Curry was almost robotic in his capturing movement, unleashing a bathe of clutch 3-pointers on France to steer Staff USA to a fifth-consecutive gold medal in males’s basketball Saturday in Paris.
“The rhythm, the avalanche got here,” Curry advised NBC. “Fortunately, the opposite 3-pointers went in. It was an unbelievable second.”
The Golden State Warriors sharpshooter scored 24 factors — off eight 3-pointers — within the 98-87 victory at Bercy Enviornment. Staff USA led for almost all of the sport, however France lower the deficit to a few with 2:58 remaining.
Curry then poured in four-consecutive deep pictures inside a 2:13 span to place the French away for good.
“That is storybook stuff, however that is what Steph does,” Staff USA coach Steve Kerr stated of Curry. “He likes to be in storybooks.”
LeBron James chipped in 14 factors, 10 assists and 6 rebounds. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker scored 15 factors apiece.
Durant additionally turned the primary man in historical past to win 4 Olympic gold medals in basketball. San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama scored a game-high 26 factors, with 13 in every half for France. The primary quarter of the Tokyo 2020 gold medal sport rematch featured six lead modifications. Booker and Anthony Edwards scored seven and 6 factors, respectively, over first 10 minutes and USA led 20-15.
France used an 8-0 run early within the second quarter to regain the lead. The People went on to attain six unanswered later within the body to earn a 10-point benefit. They led 49-41 at halftime, aided by 9 made 3-pointers.
The People outscored the French 12-6 by the primary three minutes of the second half, rising their result in 14. France later answered with a flurry of 3-pointers, chopping the deficit to 72-66 on the finish of the third quarter.
Wembanyama and the French continued to chop the deficit to single digits within the fourth, however the People — led by Curry — responded every time to safe the gold medal.
Wembanyama sank a shot to chop the deficit to 82-97 with beneath three minutes remaining. Curry then hit his first shot of his onslaught to push the U.S. result in six. He proceeded to hit one other two pictures from downtown with 1:53 and 1:14 remaining.
Curry was scalding sizzling for his clinching shot. The Warriors star dribbled as much as two defenders earlier than bouncing the ball behind his again. He then elevated whereas fading to his proper, launching the shot over a forest of arms and watching it fall by the web.
“It’s particular,” Curry stated. “Two years in the past, once we [the Warriors] received our final championship, I knew that this was going to be on the horizon and one thing I used to be excited to go after.
“I have been making ready for a very long time, however these final 5 weeks along with this group has been nothing however ‘one, two, three, gold.’ That is all we have been saying.
“So for us to lastly accomplish that, for me to get a gold medal, is insane, and I thank God for the chance to expertise it.” Earlier Saturday, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic led Serbia over Germany within the bronze medal sport. He recorded 19 factors, 12 rebounds and 11 assists within the 93-83 triumph.
The Staff USA ladies will face France within the gold medal match of that basketball match at 9:30 a.m. EDT Sunday in Paris. Belgium will battle Australia within the bronze medal match at 5:30 a.m. Sunday at Bercy Enviornment.
A sizzling air balloon carrying the Olympic flame rises into the air throughout the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games in Paris on, July 26, 2024. Greater than 10,000 athletes from 206 international locations will compete within the Summer time Olympics, which run by August 11. Picture by Maya Vidon-White/UPI | License Photo
