The United States are back on top of the men’s basketball world. After losing out on a medal completely at the 2023 World Cup of Basketball in Asia a year ago, (lost 113-111 to Germany in the semifinal and 127-118 to Canada in overtime in the bronze medal game), the United States went undefeated at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris by beating the host country of France 98-87 on Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris.
For the second straight game, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry was the offensive catalyst for Team USA. After scoring 36 points in the semifinal in a 95-91 USA win over Serbia, Curry led the Americans in scoring again in the gold medal game as he had 24 points.
It was from behind the three-point line where Curry did all of his offensive damage. In a remarkable scoreline, Curry scored all 24 of his points from eight three-point shots. The bottom line is French Basketball must have forgotten that Curry is the all-time leader in three-points shots made in National Basketball Association history.
The three-point shot is a major reason why the USA won on Saturday. The United States made 18 three-pointers as a team, while France only made nine. One common theme throughout the 40 minutes was the fact that as soon as France pulled within striking distance of Team USA, the Americans would regain control from a successful shot from downtown.
Three more Americans reached double figures in scoring. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker had 15 points each, and LeBron James had 14 points. James led Team USA with 10 assists, while Anthony Davis had a strong outing as he led the Americans with nine rebounds. Meanwhile, in the bronze medal game, Serbia beat Germany 93-83.
