The U.S. men’s basketball team is bringing home another gold medal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics!
On Friday (August 6), Team USA fought hard against France in the race for the gold. Similar to the semifinal game, the U.S. got off to a slow start. In comparison to France, they struggled a bit with scoring baskets. Although, after the U.S. warmed themselves up, they quickly found their rhythm by the end of the first quarter with a four-point lead.
As the second quarter rolled around, Kevin Durant made it clear that he was going to guarantee a victory for Team USA. In a mere 24 minutes, the Brooklyn Nets player had 21 points under his belt. Jayson Tatum was also a key player in the team’s lead — racking up 11 points by the end of the second half.
Jrue Holiday, Draymond Green, and Bam Adebayo played a spectacular defense for the last half. As France nearly caught up by the fourth quarter, Durant shut them down with his prominent free throws. The U.S. snagged their fourth consecutive gold medal with a score of 87-82.
https://twitter.com/usabasketball/status/1423869563234521090?s=21
Durant has been carrying the team to success throughout the entire tournament. He makes history by becoming one of the only American basketball players to have three Olympic gold medals — Carmelo Anthony is the other.
Shortly after the win, Durant spoke to NBC sportscaster Maria Taylor about why this medal feels different from the rest. He reflected on the obstacles that they faced such as losing games early on and dealing with the ongoing threat of COVID-19.
He said, “We fought through everything. Two and a half weeks away from my family is basically in the bubble. It was definitely different so I’m glad we finished the job.”
Overcame obstacles. Got it done. pic.twitter.com/dbl8lMeFFW
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 7, 2021
At the end, it wasn’t hard to tell how saddened France was by the loss. Utah Jazz and French player Rudy Gobert opened up about how tough it was to get past Durant.
Gobert said, “We tried to make him work as hard as we can, but he’s Kevin Durant. He’s going to hit shots that only him, in the world, can hit. I think he’s the best scorer in basketball. He’s going to do what he does, especially on the biggest stage.”
Men’s basketball is one of the many sports that has completed its run at this year’s Olympics. The games will officially conclude this Sunday, August 8th.
What did you think about the gold medal basketball game between the U.S. and France? Let us know by leaving a reaction down below or sending us a tweet @celebsecrets!
