It all comes down to this.
Olympic glory and the title of World Champion (sorry Noah Lyles) is on the line in a faceoff perfectly emblematic of the current basketball landscape.
France, led by the future face of the league Victor Wembanyama, attempts to dethrone kings and chisel some faces off basketball’s 21st-century Mount Rushmore. It’s a high climb, but France has been a giant slayer so far at the Olympics behind its raucous home crowd.
Meanwhile, the U.S. searches for a fifth-straight Olympic gold, one that could be the icing on the cake for the storied careers of guys like LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.
Follow along here for live updates from the game and all the key moments from what could prove to be a legacy-affirming showdown.
LIVE SCORE: USA 80, FRANCE 70
Fourth quarter
• 8:24 — Durant saves a lost possession by nailing a deep catch-and-shoot three-pointer as the shot clock sounds to keep France just out of reach. 77-68 USA.
Third quarter
End of the third quarter: USA 72, France 66
• 0:00 — Raptors legend Nando De Colo comes up big at the buzzer! The guard intercepts Anthony Edwards’ pass then runs in the length of the floor and gets the favourable goaltending call to cut the deficit to six points to start the fourth. What a swing for France.
• 2:30 — After being held scoreless for much of this game, FIBA Fournier has been activated. The Pistons guard nails a pull-up three then on the next possession, finishes a clean sidelines out-of-bounds play with a layup.
• 4:05 — Suddenly, France is starting to hit from deep. Wemby gets way too much space from behind the line and drains the catch-and-shoot look. The phenom is up to 20 points on 9-of-13 from the field and two-of-four from deep. 65-56 USA.
• 6:58 — Curry is heating up. Drains his second three-pointer of the frame and his fourth of the game to give the U.S. a 14-point lead. France forced to call a time-out after that one, can’t leave someone like him open on the perimeter. The U.S. is dominating from range, shooting 11-of-24 (46 per cent) while France is 3-of-17 (18 per cent) as of now.
• 7:36 — Embiid is getting to his money spot, draws two shooting fouls already in the half and hits all four free throws despite a chorus of loud French boos ringing from Bercy Arena. 58-45 USA.
• 9:44 — KD gets things started here in the second half by draining a patented pull-up mid-range. Like clockwork for the Slim Reaper.
HALF-TIME
Second quarter
End of the second quarter: USA 49, France 41
• 0:00 — It’s the Guerschon Yabusele legacy game right now. The French forward finishes at the rim as time expires to cut the deficit to single digits going into the half. He’s leading the way with a game-high 15 points and some incredible highlights so far. NBA executives might have to start making some calls…
• 2:13 — Yabusele oh my goodness! Uses the slip screen perfectly to get around his man then elevates for a disgusting one-handed slam to put LeBron James on a poster and draws the foul. The French crowd is on its feet! 40-36 USA.
• 3:53 — Things are getting a little chippy here as Devin Booker and Yabusele get into each other’s faces. Tensions are high with this much on the line.
• 5:25 — This is the matchup everyone wanted to see. LeBron and Wemby are going at it here, exchanging buckets and drawing some defensive assignments. The Lakers legend goes for a self-alley-oop but Wemby disrupts it. The two then exchange tough layups on offence.
• 7:10 — France is storming in the second quarter. Three-pointers from Yabusele and Strazel cut into the Americans’ lead and then Bilal Coulibaly put home a dunk in transition to take the lead. 25-24 France.
• 8:42 — Anthony Davis putting in the work early in the second. Blocks a three-pointer on one end then gets the outlet pass and finishes the layup. Then on the next possession, fights for two offensive boards and finishes a tough put-back dunk. 24-17 USA.
First quarter
End of first quarter: USA 20, France 15
• 0:28 — The Timberwolves teammates are going head-to-head. Anthony Edwards nails a sweet step-back three-pointer over Gobert for his second make from deep in the game.
• 2:35 — Rudy Gobert and Jayson Tatum check in early (for once) and exchange buckets as the Celtics star finishes a dunk then the Frenchman responds and slams it home off an easy entry pass. 14-13 USA.
• 6:14 — France is playing fearlessly. That’s two straight dunks from Guerschon Yabusele and Wemby as they attack the paint early and show Joel Embiid the mistake he made picking the U.S.
• 8:28 — Wemby has arrived. The phenom nails his first two shots of the game, first by responding to James with a big three-pointer, then finishes a sweet lay-up at the rim with some soft touch. France 7, USA 5.
• 9:22 — LeBron James gets the party started in the most unsurprising way possible by punching in a big two-handed slam in transition. 39 is the new 29.
PRE-GAME NOTES
• As reported by Shams Charania, Kevin Durant is set to make his first start for the U.S. at these Olympics, replacing plucky guard Jrue Holiday in the opening five. Steph Curry, Devin Booker, LeBron James and Joel Embiid will line up alongside the 14-time NBA All-Star.
• France will start Frank Ntilikina, Isaia Cordinier, Nicolas Batum, Guerschon Yabusele and Victor Wembanyama. Rudy Gobert starts on the bench once again.
• This will be a rematch of the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics that saw the U.S. down France 87-82 in a tight game. However, the teams will look radically different as France was without phenom Victor Wembanyama and breakout guys Mathias Lessort and Isaia Cordinier. The U.S., which put together a star-studded cast for Paris, was without LeBron James, Steph Curry and Joel Embiid, among others.
The stage is set for an epic showdown as the United States and France prepare to battle it out for the gold medal in men’s basketball at the Tokyo Olympics. Both teams have been dominant throughout the tournament, showcasing their talent and skill on the court.
The United States, led by NBA superstars Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard, have been on a mission to reclaim their spot atop the podium after a disappointing showing in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. With a roster stacked with All-Stars and future Hall of Famers, Team USA has been a force to be reckoned with, blowing out their opponents with their high-powered offense and suffocating defense.
On the other hand, France has been a surprise contender in this year’s Olympics, led by NBA players Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier. The French team has shown great chemistry and teamwork throughout the tournament, pulling off upsets against powerhouse teams like Slovenia and Australia. Their strong defense and efficient offense have made them a formidable opponent for any team.
As the two teams prepare to face off in the gold medal game, fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the outcome. Will Team USA continue their dominance and secure another gold medal, or will France pull off a stunning upset and claim their first Olympic gold in men’s basketball?
Stay tuned for live updates as the game unfolds, as we bring you all the action and excitement from what promises to be a thrilling showdown between two of the best teams in the world. Don’t miss a minute of the action as the United States and France battle it out for Olympic glory in men’s basketball.