The United States beat the French in the final 87-82 and won the fourth consecutive Olympics
The Usa confirm themselves masters of world basketball also at Tokyo 2020 Olympics: thanks to the 87-82 victory over France, Popovich’s Americans conquer the gold medal in Japan by signing the fourth consecutive success at the Games after Beijing, London and Rio and the sixteenth overall in their Olympic history. Historic Durant in his third five-circle triumph of his career, for France instead comes the third silver.
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Olympic basketball remains a land of stars and stripes domination: the USA beat France 87-82 in the final and thus conquer the fourth consecutive gold medal at the Games, the sixteenth in total. After Beijing, London and Rio it is American poker at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with Kevin Durant making history with his third career five-circle success and France having to settle for the third silver in his Olympic palmares. The US Team thus learns the lesson of the debut, when it was defeated by France, and is confirmed as the strongest team in the world.
Ready to go and at the Saitama Super Arena it is France starting strong with the US struggling to get into the game and falling six points to 12-6 for the French. It is only a false start for the Americans, who after the first phase of study wake up and start the comeback closing the first quarter 22-18, carried away by the usual Durant. Put their head forward the United States at that point do not give up anymore, they impose their game and manage the advantage with the usual impeccable defense. In the second quarter, Popovich’s men fly up to +13 and then allow themselves a little relaxation at the end, allow Gobert and Fournier to get up, and fix the score at 44-39 at the interval.
However, it is always the US that plays the game, when it is needed Durant is there to solve the problems and the French are unable to straighten out the match even after returning from the locker room in the third quarter, right where the transalpine miracle took place on 25 July. But after two weeks the music changes, the Americans have learned their lesson and indeed push on the accelerator reaching the maximum advantage of +14 and then fix on 71-63. The last fraction experiences the shot of pride of France which is a real team and does not want to concede the gold without a fight: a blank pass to the stars and stripes and the French reach only 3 points (73-70) at half time. It ‘s just a gasp and Lillard and Holiday put things right by relaunching the US Team towards victory. France tries to react once again in the final, the Americans suffer but in the end the gold flies over the Pacific destination United States. For the umpteenth time.
FRANCE-USA 82-87
FRANCE: Gobert 16, Fournier 16, Yabusele 13, de Colo 12, Cabarrot 11, Batum 5, Ntilikina 5, Fall 4
USA: Durant 29, Tatum 19, Holiday 11, Lillard 11, Adebayo 6, Lavine 5, Middleton 4, Booker 2
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