Tokyo 2021: the United States in gold against France in basketball
Kevin Durant is ahead of Rudy Gobert in France-United States, in the final of the basketball tournament at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. REUTERS - BRIAN SNYDER
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
3 min
The United States men's basketball team won gold at the Olympic Games for the fourth time in a row, this August 7, 2021 in Tokyo.
The Americans, carried by an unstoppable Kevin Durant (29 points), beat the French 87-82 in the final.
Blues who collect a third silver medal at the Olympics, after those of 1948 and 2000.
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From our special correspondent in Tokyo,
They wanted to believe it, but the French basketball players failed to write the history of their sport on August 7, in the final of the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. The United States, the number one basketball nation, enforced logic, in the Super Saitama Arena.
Americans on the rise
For this third France - United States in the final of the Olympics, after those of 1948 and 2000, the poster indeed seems unbalanced between Americans who won the gold medal 15 times in 19 editions and the French who then only two silver medals on the clock.
In the first round, however, the Blues surprised Team USA 83-76.
Since then, led in particular by the back Evan Fournier inspired in attack (19.2 points per game, on average) and a dissuasive Rudy Gobert in defense, the Habs have dominated the Czech Republic and Iran in the group stage, before d 'to rule out Italy in the quarter-finals and Slovenia narrowly in the semi-finals.
An unstoppable Kevin Durant
But the Americans have gained in strength during this competition, thanks in particular to the experience of winger Kevin Durant.
It is again he who, with 12 points, allows the American selection to turn in the lead after the first quarter time (22-18).
Penetration, long-distance shots, the superstar continues his offensive festival during the second quarter time.
The French, them, multiply the faults and the losses of ball, under the opposing pressure.
They then rely on Gobert, who has an undeniable advantage.
But the pivot is the target of many faults and finds himself on the free throw line, an exercise in which he does not excel.
Result at the break: 44-39 in favor of the Olympic champions.
French people running out of arguments
In the third quarter, the Blues are forced to rely on long-distance shots from Gerschon Yabusele to stay in the game.
After taking a 9-2, their coach Vincent Collet asked for a time out.
He pushes his charges to be more aggressive in attack, like Thimoté Luwawu Cabarrot, Nicolas Batum who take their chance (successfully) at 3 points.
Short of solutions and, with a clumsy Evan Fournier to shoot from afar, the Habs fail to pick up the score.
The Americans, them, multiply the faults wisely.
Final result: 87-82.
It is surely not their best Olympic coronation.
But they remain the bosses of world basketball.
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