Special envoy to Tokyo
To discover
The Olympic medal table
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TOPS
Nicolas Batum, the shadow worker
The captain of the Blues has multiplied.
To snatch a ball, release an assist, help in defense.
Again and again.
With in mind the idea that, even led, the France team should not sink so as not to drag a too penalizing goal average (-8 at halftime).
Not spectacular.
But devilishly useful at the worst time.
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The spark with the French reserve
Vincent Poirier, at the start of the second half, put down his shoulders, his size and his desire for the relay and served to melt the lead of the United States.
Like Thomas Heurtel (or Thimoté Luwawu Kongbo by sequences in the first half).
The players left the bench have largely made their contribution to a France team which was chasing a reference match and which found it at the best time.
Read also: The medal table
Rudy Gobert, a solid tower in the storm
The pivot of Utah had established himself as one of the strongmen of the quarter-final won by the Blues in the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup, he was scary and was well target.
Clumsy at free throws (4/8), he worked tirelessly to participate in breaking the lock (14 pts; 9 rebounds).
FLOPS
The lack of consistency of Team USA
There is talent and gas on all levels.
Dragsters and shooters.
But quickly installed in the lead, the team of Gregg Popovich crumbled, opening large breaches to French shooters suddenly perked up by such largesse after the break.
Sufficiency, decline in physical regime or consequence of the undermining of the France team, the Team USA assembled late, between NBA Finals and contact case, abruptly recalled that it was still in the DIY phase and started danger.
Read also: All the results
French clumsiness
Evan Fournier (28 pts at 11/22) and Nando De Colo (13 pts at 4/11) have long illustrated the blue limits at 3 points (1/11 at 3 points at halftime, including 1 / 4 for Evan Fournier and 0/3 for Nando de Colo; 8/27 in the end). A lack of success that dangerously limited Vincent Collet's players in their expression and their intentions. Before two three-point baskets from Fournier at the start of the second half to release the machine, De Colo taking over, fully relaunched after some very spectacular defensive gestures.
Kevin Durant, the all too rare flashes of the elastic man
Solid and precious in defense, loose and effective in attack, Kevin Durant entered in flexibility set the tone (7 points in 6 'but 2 faults in the first quarter) , put Team USA on the right track. Before too quickly limited by faults, less fluid after the break, to disappear from traffic. Like the entire American team.