A star-studded United States side showed their quality when it mattered as they fought back from a 13-point deficit in the final quarter to beat Serbia in a thrilling Olympic men’s basketball semi-final.
The vast array of NBA superstars, led by LeBron James and Steph Curry, trailed 76-63 after three quarters.
But they turned up the heat and turned around the deficit to win 95-91 at a noisy Bercy Arena.
“To come back the way we did… I’ve seen a lot of team USA basketball and that was a special,” said Curry, who finished with game-high 36 points.
The comeback maintained the Americans’ bid for a fifth successive gold in an Olympic event which they have dominated since it was introduced in 1936.
On Saturday, they will play hosts France in the gold-medal match.
Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic, the NBA’s reigning most valuable player (MVP), must settle for a crack at bronze when they face Germany earlier on the same day.
The Gen Z Dream Team prove their worth
Pretty much every US Olympic squad since the 1992 Games has been compared to the ‘Dream Team’ led by Michael Jordan and none have ever come close.
This Gen Z ensemble cast, featuring four NBA regular season MVP winners – James, Curry, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid – 11 NBA All-Stars and seven NBA champions, is not far behind.
Coach Steve Kerr – himself one of the greatest bosses in NBA history – wondered how he would knit together five players from a 12-man squad where each could be a future Hall of Famer.
Against Serbia it took a while for the individuals to get going as a team with only Curry, finding space to land his trademark three-pointers, keeping them within touching distance.
Jokic looked on course to upstage his American opponents, playing a key role as Serbia, who led by as many as 17 points, stifled them in a dominant first half.
But, as the US powered back into the game, Serbia faltered.
Three-pointers from Durant and Embiid started to turn the tide in the last quarter before James bustled through to put them level at 84-84.
Curry landed another from behind the arc as the Americans led with two minutes and 24 seconds left – the first time they had been ahead since 45 seconds after the game started.
With an A-List crowd including Simone Biles, Snoop Dogg and Travis Scott cheering them on, they closed out a memorable victory and danced in celebration on the court.
Serbia were unhappy with some of the refereeing decisions in the clutch moments, making their feelings known by lambasting the officials as they walked off the floor.
France willing to ‘spill blood’ to win gold
Earlier, France were helped by a frenzied home crowd as they edged past Germany 73-69.
With jubilant fans celebrating inside the arena, and many more watching television screens outside Parisian bars, France moved into the gold-medal match for the second successive Games.
In Tokyo, Les Bleus had to settle for silver as they were unable to end the American stranglehold.
France face a tough task to stop them again, although they also have an NBA superstar themselves in 20-year-old Victor Wembanyama.
The spindly 7ft 4in centre, known as Wemby or the ‘Alien’ for his height and wingspan, lived up to the hype that preceded his first season at the San Antonio Spurs by winning rookie of the year.
His fine year has continued by being at the forefront of his nation’s Olympic run and he says the team will put their bodies on the line in order to beat the Americans.
“In our national anthem, we talk about blood, too. We’re willing to spill blood on the court,” said Wembanyama.
“So it’s no big deal. If it allows us to win gold, I’m all for it.”