Crew USA’s #04 Stephen Curry celebrates scoring a three-point area objective within the males’s Gold Medal basketball match between France and USA throughout the Paris Olympics 2024 on the Bercy Area in Paris on August 10, 2024. (Picture by Damien MEYER / AFP)
PARIS — Steph Curry had solely 5 3-pointers in his first 4 video games of the Paris Olympics mixed. The shot simply wasn’t falling.
After which got here the medal spherical.
The all-time 3-point king in NBA historical past discovered his stroke within the nick of time for the People, making 17 3-pointers within the final two video games in opposition to Serbia and France to assist lead Crew USA to its fifth consecutive gold medal with a 98-87 win.
READ: Steph Curry’s late barrage seals one other gold for Crew USA
The final 4 of these 3-pointers got here within the remaining 2:46 of the gold-medal sport — a staggering show that anybody who watched might be hard-pressed to neglect.
“There’s simply a number of religion, residing and dying with the pictures you suppose it is best to take,” Curry mentioned. “The final 2 1/2 minutes have been particular. Guys have been hyping me up. We had confidence in what we have been attempting to do. And I used to be simply actually current within the second, having fun with myself.”
A breakdown of Curry’s dramatics to seal gold for the Crew USA:
The primary one
LeBron James — now a three-time gold medalist and, at 39, the MVP of this Olympic match — introduced the ball throughout midcourt, and Curry waved Anthony Davis away to create area for the pick-and-roll that was coming. Curry set it, then moved to the highest of the important thing and took the move from James.
Curry shook freed from French defender Guerschon Yabusele and made the 3-pointer from straightaway.
Little did anybody know, he was simply getting began.
— USA 85, France 79, 2:41 left.
The second
Within the timeout with 2:22 left, Curry urged that he and James hold working the pick-and-roll and having everybody else unfold the ground. A easy set, however very efficient for somebody usually thought-about the very best shooter within the historical past of basketball. So, they ran it, this time with James setting the display.
“I mentioned, ‘OK, let’s do this as a result of I’ve seen this earlier than,’” mentioned Crew USA coach Steve Kerr, who is also Curry’s coach with the Golden State Warriors. “And it often works out nicely.”
Curry stored the ball, bought defender Nicolas Batum within the air, waited for him to land after which shot from the left facet of the highest of the important thing.
READ: Crew USA holds off France for fifth straight Olympic males’s basketball gold
Curry was yelling a message as he headed again down the ground. “Don’t fear about me,” he stored saying.
No one was at that time.
— USA 90, France 81, 1:52 left.
The third one
Batum had simply made a 3-pointer to chop the lead again to 6. Curry introduced the ball down the ground and gave it to Kevin Durant, who instantly gave it again. Curry despatched the ball his method once more and ultimately it was within the arms of Devin Booker.
As Booker drove the baseline, he noticed Curry open on the prime of the important thing once more.
Crew USA’s #04 Stephen Curry celebrates scoring a three-point area objective within the males’s Gold Medal basketball match between France and USA throughout the Paris Olympics 2024 on the Bercy Area in Paris on August 10, 2024. (Picture by Aris MESSINIS / AFP)
He wound up utilizing principally the identical transfer because the possession earlier than; this time, it was ready for Nando de Colo to chew on the top pretend. One other 3-pointer, good.
“He’s the very best shooter to ever reside,” Booker mentioned.
Curry screamed a number of instances afterward, then hoisted the highest of his jersey to point out the “USA” throughout his chest.
— USA 93, France 84, 1:18 left.
The fourth one
Victor Wembanyama related on a 3-pointer, the final salvo of his 26-point evening, to get France inside 93-87 with 54.4 seconds left. The People went again to Curry, as everybody knew they might.
He despatched the ball to Durant, simply as he did within the earlier possession. And Durant gave it proper again once more.
Curry bought the trace. He was protecting the ball this time. He compelled a shot over Batum and Evan Fournier, sort of an off-balanced heave that appeared like a mistake.
“I used to be sort of like, ‘What the (expletive),’” U.S. heart Bam Adebayo mentioned. “Then I remembered who was capturing it.”
READ: Serbia’s sizzling capturing not sufficient vs Steph Curry, Crew USA
After all, it was getting in. The U.S. was up 96-87 with 35 seconds left. The French swimming star of those Paris Video games, four-time gold medalist Léon Marchand, might solely smile from his courtside seat.
Curry put his arms to the facet of his head in celebration. “Night time evening,” he calls it, a reference the place he tells the opposite group it’s time to fall asleep. In France, it interprets to “nuit nuit.”
The sport was over. The gold can be worn by People once more. Curry watched Durant win gold medals at three earlier Olympics. He watched Simone Biles win the all-around gold in ladies’s gymnastics in the identical enviornment earlier within the Paris Video games. He wished that second, desperately.
And with 4 unforgettable pictures, he delivered.
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“This won’t come round once more,” Curry mentioned. “It was very, very particular.”
Observe Inquirer Sports activities’ particular protection of the Paris Olympics 2024.
