Everyone on the Phoenix Suns was able to mentally reset themselves in some way this summer to put a hugely disappointing season behind them. The superstar duo of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant had the best break of all, winning an Olympic gold medal for Team USA in the final against France (98-87).
Booker finished with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. He played the entire fourth quarter for the second straight game, a testament to his importance to this team. The trio of Booker (+18), LeBron James (+17) and Stephen Curry (+20) was the stabilizing force in a game that could have gone either way.
Durant added 15 points, four rebounds and four assists, and made some key shots in the second half. He is now the most-capped player in the history of the men’s program with four Olympic gold medals, tying Booker for two.
The competitiveness of this game rivaled the NBA Finals. Define that word not so much by the score, but rather by the fire and atmosphere on the court. It was absolutely overwhelming and was fueled by an incredible crowd that made a lot of noise for both sides.
The volleys of shots typical of Curry’s great career crowned the two magical final games that were eagerly awaited by the Americans.
France held on long enough, despite a few turnovers, to bring Team USA down to just three points with less than three minutes left. Curry then went wild, beating France with two consecutive three-pointers that ended with a stab in the back that provided an ending so fairytale-like it must be engraved in a Song of Ice and Fire.
“THE GOLDEN DAGGER!”
Steph Curry, this is completely ridiculous. 🤯#ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/8hIN8tgmfK
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) 10 August 2024
Curry and Durant actually made just 1 of 8 three-pointers early on, and another stagnant offensive surge from the second unit affected what was supposed to be a double-digit lead for the USA. Instead, it was a slight lead for France at the start of the second quarter as the starters slowly got back into the game.
That’s when James felt he had to take the lead when he got back into the game. It started with a one-on-one on Victor Wembanyama, where he boldly failed a T-Mac attempt and threw the ball off the board to himself before getting himself and the team rolling. James had a grab-and-go finish, Booker sank a 3, Curry took one down from Booker with a nice extra pass, and then a Bam Adebayo dunk was followed by another James masterpiece in transition for an and-1.
That put Team USA up by six points and they quickly regained control of the game with a 13-6 run that lasted over two minutes. Durant finally scored another three points, as did Curry, and then a Booker transition-and-1 finish rounded off a tremendous effort by the starters to extend the lead to ten points late in the first half.
At halftime, the Americans were eight points ahead with 16 assists and 20 field goals.
The French were overwhelmed by their overall effort, however. Joel Embiid settled on the block to get to the line and Curry made his fourth three of the night when he set up a block for James – a nightmarishly impossible defensive scenario. Durant converted two mid-range jumpers to find his rhythm again as well.
The only way Team USA could lose control of the game was to make it its own worst enemy. Seven turnovers in the final 6:18 of the third quarter allowed France and its fans to get back into the game. The lead was only six at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Americans increased the gap midway through the fourth quarter, but the unforced errors continued and France was able to narrow its lead to 82-79 with three and a half minutes left, setting the stage for Curry’s explosion.
Curry’s 24 points was a special moment for him in his first Olympics and we as basketball fans have to remember that it may be the last time we ever see him at that height again. The Golden State Warriors dynasty is over and he is 36 years old. If you haven’t already, you can appreciate what we saw from him even more.
The same goes for James. He was sloppy with his decisions in the second half, trying to finish ahead of Curry’s heroics, but was still great in this game, especially in a spectacular first half. He scored 14 points, six rebounds and 10 assists to cap off a great tournament that saw FIBA crown him MVP.
Anthony Davis played his best game of the Olympics and was a great substitute, recording eight points, nine rebounds, one assist, two steals and four blocks in 20 minutes.
Wembanyama was absolutely ready for his big moment, an omen of what was to come later in his career. The 20-year-old scored 26 points, the most of the game, and Guerschon Yabusele added 20 to also get into the groove as one of the tournament’s best players.
