US Men's Basketball Team Will Face France for Olympics Gold Medal

Down by 11 in the fourth quarter, against what looked like overwhelming odds, the US Olympic men's basketball team got a spark.
Six points in two seconds.
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker provided that wild sequence to start the comeback, Stephen Curry had a scoring night like almost none other in US Olympic history, and the Americans will play for gold at the Paris Games. Curry scored 36 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:16 left, and the US beat Serbia 95-91 in a semifinal classic on Thursday night, The Associated Press reported.
LeBron James had the fourth triple-double in Olympic history for the US, which trailed by 17 points in the first half and faced an 11-point halftime deficit — the biggest one successfully overcome by an American team since NBA players were added to the Olympic mix in 1992.
“I've seen a lot of Team USA basketball,” Curry said. “And that was a special one.”
Serbia led by 11 with 7:19 left. The rest of the way, it was all US. The Americans won a game where they led for 3 minutes, 25 seconds. Serbia led for 35:12 — nearly 90% of the game.
But it’ll be the US against host France for gold in a dream matchup for the host nation on Saturday, while Serbia will face Germany earlier Saturday for bronze. The gold-medal game is a rematch from the Tokyo Games three years ago, where the Americans prevailed 87-82.
“I’m really humbled to have been a part of this game," US coach Steve Kerr said, tipping his hat multiple times to Serbia. “It’s one of the greatest basketball games I’ve ever been a part of. They were perfect. They played a perfect game. Our coaches were saying Villanova-Georgetown, for all of our older readers and viewers out there.
"But they played the perfect game, and they forced us to reach the highest level of competition that we could find. And our guys were incredible in that fourth quarter, and they got it done.”
Joel Embiid scored 19 points on 8 for 11 shooting and James added 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the US, which is now assured of its 20th medal in 20 Olympic appearances.
“Joel was everything," said James, who has two of the four triple-doubles in Olympic men's history; he also had one in 2012, while the Soviet Union's Aleksander Belov in 1976 and Slovenia's Luka Doncic in 2021 had the others. “Made every big shot.”
Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 20 points for Serbia, which got 17 from Nikola Jokic and 15 from Aleksa Avramovic. The Serbians were 0-3 against the US this summer, getting blown out in the first two meetings and then looking poised for a win of their own on Thursday.
The whole game changed in the fourth after a wild sequence saw the US score six points in two seconds. Durant made a 3-pointer while Anthony Davis was getting fouled. The US got another possession because of the foul, and Booker immediately made another 3-pointer.
Just like that, a 78-67 lead for Serbia was down to 78-73. The comeback was on, and Curry's 3 put the US up for good. He added a pair of free throws with 8.2 seconds left to make it a two-possession game and the Americans escaped.
Curry's 36 points were the second-most in a game by a US men's player in Olympic history, one shy of Carmelo Anthony's record 37 against Nigeria in 2012. And Anthony, sitting courtside, was Curry's biggest cheerleader. When the Americans tied it with about 3:35 left, Curry gave Anthony a big smile. When the go-ahead 3 rattled home, Anthony leaped from his seat. And when it was over, the two shared a long embrace.
“That was a godlike performance," Durant said of Curry.
Serbia coach Svetislav Petic kept saying the same thing all summer, that the team the US put together for the Paris Games was better than any in Olympic history. Even the Dream Team, he insisted. His mind wasn't changed after this one.
“They're that good,” he said.
A barrage of Serbian 3-pointers had the Americans squarely on the ropes, until the game changed in the fourth. But in the end, the US improved to 144-6 all-time in Olympic play, 63-4 since NBA players were added to the Olympics in 1992.
“Perseverance, hard work dedication, Chef Curry and Joel ‘Process’ Embiid,” James said. “Big-time win for us. We knew we were going to be challenged. We knew it was going to be the toughest game to date. Total effort.”
Gold is the goal, but that didn't keep the US from celebrating upon returning to the team hotel. Down 42-25 at one point, down 11 in the fourth, the Americans outscored the Serbians 32-15 in the final quarter.
“I know we want to win the gold, but you've got to celebrate the small moments, too,” Durant said in a video distributed by USA Basketball well after midnight as he grabbed a postgame meal next to his mother, Wanda. “Guarantee you, everybody in here, they'll never forget this night. Everybody in here will remember this night for the rest of their lives. That's how special this is.”
The comeback kept Durant’s hopes of becoming the first four-time Olympic men’s gold medalist very much alive and gave the US a chance to return to the international basketball mountaintop. The Americans were fourth at the World Cup last summer, a result that spurred some NBA stars like James and Curry to be part of this team.
And of all the US semifinal moments, this was like few others. The four-point final margin was the second closest in American history in the Olympic semifinals; the US beat Lithuania by two in the 2000 semifinals in Sydney, on the way to gold there.
They're one win away from another.
“I'm 39 years old, going into my 22nd season, I don't know how many opportunities and moments I'm going to get like this to compete for something, compete for something big and play in big games,” James said. “And tonight was a big game.”

For many athletes at the Paris Olympics, the fun was just beginning after they were done competing.
During the second full week of the 2024 Olympics, going home wasn't an option. Now that the pressure of having to compete is gone, it was time to become a fan: Enjoy Paris and watch other sports.
“I’m a huge track fan,” said triathlete Morgan Pearson, who won the silver medal with the US team in the mixed relay on Monday. “I hope to go to some of those races. I’m a huge Olympic fan in general.”
American sport climber Zach Hammer, who was finished competing on Tuesday, also was headed to the track, The Associated Press reported.
“I would definitely be excited to watch the men’s 200(-meter) with (Noah) Lyles. He’s one of my favorite athletes,” he said. “I’m definitely excited to get the full Olympic experience, and I’ll go watch whatever there is to watch. It will definitely be cool to see Americans competing on the biggest stage.”
US rower Jacob Plihal was among those who stayed in town after competing during the first week.
“Hopefully I can watch a little handball if that’s still going, maybe 3x3 basketball," he said. “I don’t know what the schedules are. I’ve been focused on the racing but I’m excited to stick around and watch other sports, cheer Team USA on and get to know some athletes at the (Olympic) Village.”
Another American sport climber, Sam Watson, who broke the speed world record in an elimination heat on Tuesday, was making the most out of his stay at the village. He was challenging fellow athletes to chess games and trying to get selfies with a member of every delegation at the Games.
Some of the American women rowers who competed last week were at the women's basketball game between the US and Nigeria on Wednesday.
Molly Thompson-Smith, a British sport climber, was interested in watching some of the other smaller sports that don’t often get much attention. She said “it’s been really cool to kind of learn how they work and all the weird things about them.”
Thompson-Smith added that she "did see a bit of beach volleyball,” but “I think everyone wants to see the athletics, just to see something like that and feel the atmosphere of the crowd would be incredible. But I’m open to seeing anything now ... I’m here to make as many memories and see as much as I possibly can.”
Rower Viktorija Senkute, who won Lithuania’s first medal at the Games last week, was sticking around to watch her boyfriend, Simonas Maldonis, compete in canoe sprint.
Athletes can watch their own discipline with their accreditation, but need tickets for other sports. Some said they can get them through their national Olympic committees, or with the International Olympic Committee, which gives each athlete one free ticket per day.
There was an additional Olympic experience for athletes this time in Paris, as for the first time in the Summer Games organizers gave them a place to be closer to fans and celebrate their medals. In the new Champions Park, athletes got a chance to parade with their medals and interact with fans.
“I feel as if this year they’ve done a really good job of treating after winning athletes with memories that we’re going to cherish forever,” French rugby player Aaron Grandidier Nkanang said after going to the Champions Park. “We’re just in front of the Eiffel Tower, and there’s thousands of people out to come and cheer us on.”

US Men's Basketball Team Will Face France for Olympics Gold Medal