Thanks to a great performance in the first half by Devin BookerThis time, Team USA did not need a final comeback to win.
On Saturday in Paris, The United States defeated France 98-87 in the gold medal match in men’s basketball at the Olympic GamesThese are the second consecutive Olympic Games in which the USA has defeated France in the final.
Thanks to Booker’s team-leading 13 points in the first half, the Americans controlled the French from the second quarter onwards, giving the country its fifth consecutive gold medal and 17th overall. Booker finished the game with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes, and Team USA led the entire second half.
However, Booker wasn’t the only former Kentucky Wildcat to make an impression. Anthony Davis finished the game with eight points, nine rebounds, four blocks and two steals in 20 minutes, while Bam Adebayo contributed two points and one rebound in nine minutes. Four three-pointers by Steph Curry in the last three minutes sealed the victory for Team USA.
Although Booker didn’t make headlines with his play on the court at this event, his impact on this team would not go unnoticed throughout the Olympics. In six games, he averaged 11.7 points, 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 22 minutes per game. The 6-foot-6 guard shot 56.8 percent from the field, 56.5 percent from beyond the arc and 77.8 percent from the free throw line. His overall plus/minus of +78 was fourth-highest on the team.
Davis ranked fifth on the team in minutes played, averaging 8.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game, with an overall shooting percentage of 62.5 percent. Adebayo averaged six points and 3.7 rebounds per game. But in the end, the stats don’t count – All three Wildcats will go home with gold medals.
Victor Wembanyama led the way for France with 26 points and seven rebounds. Curry led Team USA with 24 points, while James added 14 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Kevin Durant – now a four-time gold medalist for the Americans – added 15 points, four rebounds and four rebounds.
That gold medal win came one game after arguably the most impressive comeback victory in U.S. team history. The Americans trailed by as many as 17 points against Serbia and were behind by double digits in the fourth quarter of the semifinals earlier this week, but a legendary performance by Curry, LeBron James and Joel Embiid in the closing minutes propelled the U.S. team into the finals.
