PARIS – Players ran aimlessly around the field with their hands on their heads. Coaches formed a circle with their arms crossed and jumped for joy. There were hugs. There were tears. A veteran leader took off his jersey and took a triumphant victory lap in front of a crowd that adored him and refused to leave.

The French national team basked in its semifinal victory over Germany on Thursday night as if it had already won a trophy. But what it had really won was a moment, a chance to face the United States national team in the gold medal game on Saturday (3 p.m. ET/noon PT) on the banks of the Seine in the French capital.

“This is the chance of a lifetime,” said Victor Wembanyama.

“To play in the Olympic final in Paris,” said coach Vincent Collet in French, “this is a dream.”

It’s a dream.

The French team has been going through some turmoil. Evan Fournier, whose photos are now appearing shirtless in newspapers across the country, had a public dispute with Collet over tactics.

Collet essentially reprimanded Wembanyama, his most important player, for not having enough passes. And in an elimination match against Canada, the coach radically changed the starting lineup and used The Blues Legend Rudy Gobert for the entire duration except three minutes.

The French lost four times in pre-Olympic Games, only narrowly made it into the medal round after avoiding what seemed certain defeat to Japan through a miraculous and slightly controversial four-point game, and were completely crushed in their first meeting with Germany in the group stage.

All that is now over. Team USA will face a red-hot team playing in an incredible formation on home soil. Collet’s lineup changes have unleashed new energy and inspired Fournier, who lost his starting spot but responded with several crucial shots.

France first surprised Canada, perhaps the surprise winner of the tournament so far, with a masterful performance in the new team. Then it outdid the favored Germans, the reigning world champions, who had won 13 games in a row since 2022. And all this in front of a raucous crowd with blue, white and red seemingly painted on every cheek.

“The crowd was incredible,” said Steve Kerr, coach of the U.S. team. “Everyone was just jumping around and I literally took out my phone and filmed the crowd because it was just so special to see the energy and the excitement. And of course it’s going to be even louder on Saturday night and I can’t wait. I think it’s going to be one of the most entertaining games I’ll ever be a part of.”

You could also describe it as “fun”.

This is a rematch of the 2021 Olympic final in Tokyo, where the USA won a narrow 87-82 victory. The French had beaten the Americans in group play in Japan, ending the US team’s 25-game Olympic winning streak that stretched back to 2008 in Beijing.

When USA Basketball was putting together this roster, relying on added size by recruiting Joel Embiid to the team and bringing back former gold medalists Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo, France was one of the teams they had in mind.

With Wembanyama and Gobert, France can play extremely big – and they also have the athletic forwards Guerschon Yabusele and Mathias Lessort. Their defense was crucial in the win against Germany, who scored 25 points in the first quarter of the semifinal but only managed 25 points in the second and third quarters combined.

The French undoubtedly noticed Serbia’s success during the US team’s semifinal win, when they used their two big players, Nikola Jokic and Nikola Milutinov. However, in the last two games, France has not used such big players, as Gobert has largely given up his playing time and Wembanyama has moved to the starting center position.

The smaller and faster team plays with much more power, especially in defense. Yabusele, who replaced Gobert in the starting lineup, and Lessort have made a clear impression with their energy that has endeared them to the French public.

“It was very impressive to see their team evolve and change their style on the fly,” Kerr said. “What stands out on video is how hard they play on both ends. So we have to be prepared for that physicality and that power and we have to not only match them, but outperform them. And that’s the challenge.”

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Collet has continued to focus on playing small, replacing Fournier in the starting lineup with former reserve Isaïa Cordinier. In the first few games, Cordinier was only a role player, but his energy and shooting in the backcourt, where France has historically been weaker, has made the difference.

In the last two games, Cordinier has averaged 18 points and made 6 of 10 three-point shots. Kerr said Friday that they have been working on him especially after his emergence last week in Paris.

The Americans will likely have to rely on a flexible game plan that is prepared for the French to stay small or play big. This is where having Adebayo, Davis and LeBron James, all of whom can defend several different positions for big players, gives the U.S. some advantages.

But whatever the pros and cons, the U.S. team is well aware of the challenge after spending weeks in the country and seeing how French athletes responded to their home crowds during their impressive Olympic performances in all sports.

“You expect them to play the game of their lives because they’re going to feel the adrenaline of playing at home,” Steph Curry said Friday, a day after scoring 36 points in a comeback win over Serbia. “They’re on a high momentum after these last two games. You have to expect them to play great, but we expect that from ourselves, too.”