Basketball: US takes top spot with nervy win over France

Rio de Janeiro, BR.In a battle of the top two teams in Group A, the USA men’s basketball team defeated France 100-97 Sunday afternoon, closing out group play with five wins in as many starts. Four American players had double-digit points, led by Charles and Griner’ 18 apiece. But Batum sees the rest of the teams in this tournament as being improved, which makes it that much more hard on an American team already missing the likes of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook. I mean, this game felt a lot closer than it had to be but a win’s a win.

Team USA came out Sunday afternoon with good energy, and started off with a monstrous DeMarcus Cousins dunk, but their starting lineup didn’t have many bright spots outside of that.

Kevin Durant scored 17 points after he took just four shots in the previous game, the Americans’ 94-91 victory over Serbia on Friday.

Charlotte Hornets’ shooting guard, Nicolas Batum, and France took on Team USA in a star-studded match-up at the Rio Olympics. The world clearly doesn’t fear the Americans, perhaps thanks to scores of worldwide National Basketball Association players having seen the mortal sides of America’s hoops heroes up close. That goes for the US too. Thompson shot 9-for-16 from the field, 7-for-13 from the 3-point line and 5-for-7 from the free throw line in a brilliant all-around performance.

It’s worth tuning in to check out the Aussies’ leading scorer and rebounder, Elizabeth Cambage, one of the few players in the tournament with the size and skill to go toe-to-toe with USA’s frontline.

The United States had a chance Sunday to avoid grinding it out, up 16 with 2:23 left in the third, the kind of opportunity it hasn’t seen often in these games.

France kept it close early and was down by only nine points at the half, 55-46, as they kept finding ways to get through the American defensive press. Here are three takeaways from their three-point victory over the French. Thompson has struggled for a majority of the tournament, but the United States needed someone to step up on Sunday, and Thompson did so.

In the first half, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson carried the US. Please see our terms of service for more information.

Not after three successive struggles for Mike Krzyzewski’s squad. After the game, he emphasized the US’s need to trust each other late, a lack of ball movement, and the failure to help on defense which has led to these these fourth quarter runs that have plagued the U.S. in the past few games. The second unit moved without the ball often, which helped keep France’s defense off-balance. Moving forward, his playing time will be something to look out for. Quarterfinal games will be played on Wednesday, August 17.

The top-ranked United States beat No. 8 China 105-62 earlier Sunday in their last group match to finish a ideal 5-0 at the Rio Olympics. Grouped on the same side of the bracket as the US, they’ll see this same team in the semis if both teams win in the quarters.