France vs USA
What a fitting way to conclude the Olympics 2020 men’s basketball tournament as France take on USA for the gold medal match.
France and USA squared off during the first day in Tokyo where basketball fans witnessed one of the most shocking Olympics 2020 results.
Les Bleus kicked off their campaign with style as they got a 83-76 win over the Stars and Stripes. But since then, the Americans have pulled themselves back together.
USA went on to win their two group stage games against Iran and Czech Republic, and then they defeated Spain in the quarter-finals and Australia in the semi-finals.
The Frenchmen, meanwhile, extended their streak to six games with wins over Iran and Czech Republic in the group stages, Italy in the quarter-finals, and Slovenia in the semi-finals.
On the other side of the bracket, Australia and Slovenia will have to settle for the bronze medal game following their defeats to USA and France respectively.
The stage is set for the final here in Tokyo. And here at SBOTOP, let’s first take a look at these two countries here in our latest preview.
Talking Points
Can France do the impossible?
France may have defeated USA two weeks ago, but the challenge of beating them for the second consecutive time in this tournament will be much harder since the stakes are higher.
Les Bleus are fresh from a tough win in the semis – in a game that they barely escaped since they were pushed to the limit by the Slovenians.
When the French were leading by one late in the said match, they needed one more defencive stop to ice the game and they got it through one of their old reliables.
Luka Doncic was double-teamed by France as he attempted to drive inside and he passed the ball to Klemen Prepelic, whose layup was blocked by Nicolas Batum to save the game.
The Vincent Collet-mentored squad must bring that defencive mentality and more against the loaded Americans.
Kevin Durant is going to be a marked man for Les Bleus. Shutting him down is certainly out of the question, but they have the personnel who can slow him down for a bit.
Nicolas Batum, as shown against Slovenia, can be that guy and he’ll share the defencive duties with Guerschon Yabusele and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
Three-time NBA Defencive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert will also play a crucial role since he is the team’s most effective rim protector.
Their offence needs to be on point as well if they’ll stand a chance against the confident USA squad.
Besides Evan Fournier, France will also need significant combined output from the likes of Frank Ntilikina, Vincent Poirier, and former EuroLeague MVP Nando De Colo.
Teamwork makes the dream work for USA
With multiple 20 points per game scorers in the NBA last season, Team USA have all the necessary firepower to blast Les Bleus en route to the gold medal.
Other than Kevin Durant, USA have Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, and Zach LaVine – who all can light up the box score on any given day.
The Stars and Stripes are the favoured side in our Olympics 2020 odds and their recent outing has shown us why it is so.
When they were trailing in the first half against Australia in the semis, USA upped the ante in the second half to overwhelm their counterparts.
USA only hit nine of their 28 three-point attempts, but they compensated by shooting over 50-per cent from the field while holding their foes to only 41-per cent overall. They were also solid on the rebounds with a 44-29 advantage.
In this final, however, USA are going to be challenged since France are a much bigger group compared to Australia. Bam Adebayo and JaVale McGee definitely have their hands full against Rudy Gobert.
The Gregg Popovich-coached squad simply cannot let their guard down even for one moment against France. For them to successfully defend the gold, the Americans must bring their A-game this weekend.
History
By reaching this far, France have already matched their best finish in the Olympics men’s basketball competition. Les Bleus won the silver in 1948 and 2000 and a victory against the Americans would give them their first-ever gold in this event.
Les Bleus head into this contest with no fear at all since they’ve beaten the Star and Stripes in their last two international meetings.
Prior to the Olympics opener, France eliminated USA in the 2019 FIBA World Cup quarter-finals – snapping a streak of 58 straight victories in international competition.
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