France handed the United States their first loss at the Olympics since 2004 as the Americans lose 83-76 in the men’s basketball.
Final.#Basketball #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/qDLZtikMC7
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 25, 2021
France had also smashed the USA team out two years ago from the Basketball World Cup.
French men ended the game in their favour with Evan Fournier’s 3-pointer ahead of just one minute left into the final time ended the USA’s Olympic winning mark where they had earned 25 back to back Olympic games. Their previous loss was registered seventeen years ago at the Athens Games where they had finalized for a bronze medal.
Fournier scored game-high 28 points for France and Rudy Gobert added 14 expanded by Nando de Colo who contributed with 13 points.
France closes the game on a 16-2 run to defeat #USABMNT, 83-76 in the Group Stage. #TokyoOlympics
Evan Fournier: 28 PTS
Rudy Gobert: 14 PTS, 9 REB
Jrue Holiday: 18 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST pic.twitter.com/k8vtLGn9cg— NBA (@NBA) July 25, 2021
On the other side for the USA, Jrue Holiday, who just won the NBA Finals trophy this season with Milwaukee Bucks against the Phoenix Suns, provided 18 points, Bam Adebayo with 12, Damian Lillard 11 and Kevin Durant, for whom the season with his club Brooklyn Nets didn’t end well in the NBA playoffs Eastern Conference semifinals despite his brilliant performance, scored 10.
Team USA will be back in action next against Iran for the Group A clash on Wednesday, 28 July followed by their battle with the Czech Republic who will face France next, to qualify for the quarterfinals.