USA fend off France for women’s basketball gold

PARIS: The United States held off France 67-66 to win an unprecedented eighth successive women´s Olympic basketball gold on Sunday and extend their run of victories at the tournament to 61 games.

A´ja Wilson scored a game-high 21 points for the Americans who won the title for the 10th time overall, surviving a buzzer-beating shot from France´s Gabby Williams.

The hosts needed a three to force overtime but Williams´ foot was on three-point line as she let go off the ball, so her shot counted for just two points in a dramatic finale. The US secured their 40th gold of the Paris Games in the final event of the competition, pipping China to the top the medals table by virtue of winning more silvers.

The US women got support from LeBron James who sat courtside wearing his gold medal, joined by team-mates Bam Adebayo and Derrick White, a day after they won the men´s gold by beating the French man 98-87 in Saturday´s final.

A low-scoring first quarter saw a cold-shooting France muster just nine points, but the US only fared marginally better and led by six after 10 minutes. Williams trimmed the gap to a point with a three early in the second period before a basket from Valeriane Ayayi tied the game at 20-20.

Marine Fauthoux drained a three from near midcourt with the shot clock expiring to send the crowd wild, but Napheesa Collier´s putback ensured the teams headed into the break level at 25-25.

France strung together a 10-point run to start the third period as Fauthoux and Ayayi both nailed threes. The US to hit back to lead 45-43 going into the final quarter, with Kelsey Plum connecting on a pair of threes -- one after Johannes took a nasty blow from Wilson that went unpunished, to France´s fury.

USA beat France 98-87 for men´s basketball Olympic gold

The United States won their fifth straight Olympic men´s basketball crown on Saturday, holding off a battling France 98-87 to take their tally of Olympic golds to 17. In a rematch of the Tokyo Olympics final three years ago, LeBron James and the US team stacked with NBA stars once again proved too much for France, despite the efforts of sensational NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama.

France sliced a 14-point deficit to three with 3min 04sec to play on Wembanyama´s put-back dunk, but Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry drilled a three-pointer -- one of four from him with less than three minutes remaining -- and the United States relentlessly powered to the finish.

Curry finished with eight three-pointers -- including a rainbow over a leaping Wembanyama -- and led the US scoring with 24 points.

“You just simply marvel,” James said of Curry. “Having him on your side, you just try to get stops and figure out other ways on the other end but keep finding him, keep getting him the ball.”