JAKARTA - Kevin Durant became the star of the United States national basketball team when he led Uncle Sam's country to a fourth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics. Noting 29 points and six rebounds, Durant helped the US win 87-82 over France in Saitama, Japan, Saturday.
Jayson Tatum added 19 points and seven rebounds. The US has won 16 gold medals from 19 appearances in the Olympics.
"We got past a really tough opponent," Durant said after winning his third Olympic gold medal after the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
"We lost one game in this tournament, we lost two exhibition games. We are facing an unusual COVID situation, with several players playing in the (NBA) Finals so late to join. You made it through everything."
"It was completely different so I'm glad we got the job done," he said.
x #USABMNT celebrates its fourth-straight Olympic Gold!#Tokyo2020 | #Basketball pic.twitter.com/Er5FgjTfVh
— NBA (@NBA) August 7, 2021
Rudy Gobert had 16 points and eight rebounds and Evan Fournier also scored 16 points for France, who won a third silver medal. France lost the 1948 and 2000 Olympic gold medals, both against the US.
The French team has never won men's basketball gold.
Guerschon Yabusele scored 13 points, Nando de Colo added 12 points plus seven assists, while Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had 11 points for France, who recorded 46.6 percent throwing effectiveness and made 10 of 31 three-pointers.
Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard each scored 11 points for the US, who had a 45.7 percent throw-in effectiveness and made 9 of 32 three-pointers.
Durant scored just 10 points as the US lost 83-76 to France on July 25.
He pushed the US away by making two free throws with 8.8 seconds remaining to give the US a five-point lead. Nicolas Batum crows a 3-pointer for France, while Holiday rebounds to put America in control of time until the bell rings.
Earlier in the last quarter, Frank Ntilikina fired a three-pointer to seal a 7-0 attack as France followed up to 73-70 with 45 minutes 44 seconds remaining.
The United States answered 9-2, and Tatum finished with a 3-pointer to widen the gap again to 10 points in the last 3 minutes 25 seconds.
France hit again when Fournier hit a three-pointer to cut the US lead to 84-78 in the last 1 minute 10 seconds. De Colo made two free throws with 10.2 seconds remaining which put France closer to 82-85.
21 points from Durant and 11 points from Tatum gave the US a 44-39 lead ahead of the first half break.
The US led 39-26 just past the middle of the second quarter before France cut the deficit to five points before halftime.
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