Team USA vs. France live updates: Will Americans strike gold?

Live5 updates

• 

  Sat, August 10, 2024 at 3:21 PM EDT

  Kevin Durant going for four

  Kevin Durant could become the first U.S. men’s basketball player to win four gold medals with a victory over France on Saturday.

  He’s not counting, but we are.

  Kevin Durant could become the first 🇺🇸 #USABMNT athlete to win four Olympic gold medals.

  — USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 10, 2024

  LeBron James would also earn a fourth medal, having previously won two golds and a bronze.

  During these Olympics, Durant became Team USA’s all-time leading Olympic scorer, passing Lisa Leslie’s 488 points. Durant has 502 going into the matchup with France.

• 

  Sat, August 10, 2024 at 3:10 PM EDT

  Joel Embiid faces France fans one last time

  Joel Embiid has been a persistent target of boos and jeers during the Paris Olympics, having chosen to play for the United States rather than France or Cameroon.

  He trolled the fans during the win over Puerto Rico in group play and danced after the thrilling semifinal victory over Serbia, making the DX “suck it” chop. That’s apparently a theme for Embiid going into Saturday’s gold medal game.

  Joel Embiid, on what he expects from the French crowd tomorrow:

  “They’re going to boo me, I’m going to go back at them and tell them to suck it.”

  — Mike Finger (@mikefinger) August 9, 2024

• 

  Sat, August 10, 2024 at 2:49 PM EDT

  Rendezvous with history?

  The fans at Paris’ Bercy Arena are ready for a “rendezvous with history” as a banner in the stands says:

  Two hours before tipoff of the men’s basketball gold medal game between the USA and France, a huge banner stretches across three sections of seats at Bercy Arena in Paris: “Rendez-vous avec l’histoiry” pic.twitter.com/VE2CWjh0O5

  — Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 10, 2024

  Thus far, the history between the United States and France in men’s basketball is a 6–1 record for Team USA. That includes a U.S. 87–82 victory in the Tokyo Olympics’ gold medal game four years ago.

• Sat, August 10, 2024 at 2:35 PM EDT

  Team USA starting lineup

  As The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Friday night, USA coach Steve Kerr plans to start Kevin Durant in the gold medal game vs. France. Jrue Holiday will come off the bench as a result.

  Team USA is planning to start all-time leading scorer Kevin Durant vs. France in Saturday’s Gold Medal game at the Paris Olympics, per sources. Jrue Holiday is expected to come off the USA bench. pic.twitter.com/UrYgyhyTUY

  — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 9, 2024

  So the U.S. starting five will look like this:

  • Kevin Durant

  • Stephen Curry

  • Devin Booker

  • LeBron James

  • Joel Embiid

  France has not yet announced its starting lineup. Coach Vincent Collet replaced Rudy Gobert with Victor Wembanyama before the quarterfinal matchup with Canada for a small-ball lineup and stuck with it versus Germany.

• Sat, August 10, 2024 at 2:30 PM EDT

  France stats: The Victor Wembanyama show

  Victor Wembanyama leads France in points (13.8), rebounds (10.2) and assists (3.6) per game during the Olympic men’s basketball tournament.

  

  France coach Vincent Collet replaced Rudy Gobert with Wembanyama before the quarterfinal matchup with Canada. The small-ball lineup resulted in wins over Canada and Germany.

  Additionally, Guerschon Yabusele and Isaïa Cordinier are more familiar with FIBA-style basketball, and helped to create more spacing and playmaking around Wembanyama.