The first three-pointer Stephen Curry nailed in the final three minutes of Team USA’s 98-87 victory over France on Saturday night at Bercy Arena was fairly basic, for him, though it might have been the most important of the Curry flurry that clinched gold for the Americans, and the first Olympic title of Curry’s career.
With France having cut the U.S. lead to three, 82-79 in the fourth quarter, Curry pump-faked, sending French defender Guerschon Yabuselle airborne. He took a dribble to his right, to the top of the key, giving himself a straight line to the bucket. He’s hit this shot on so many occasions. He did it again, and gave the U.S. much-needed breathing room.
Three-pointer number two came less than a minute later, with around 1:53 left on the clock and the U.S. up 87-81. This time, Curry went to his left before delivering the fake. Poor Nicholas Batum, the NBA vet who flew by Curry this time. Bang. Curry started pointing at this chest. 90-81, a virtual dagger.
France, however, refused to buckle. Batum hit a three to make it a 90-84, now a two-possession game. But back down the floor, the U.S. called Curry’s name again. This time, poor Nando de Colo. He fell for the fake. Another Curry three— his third in 88 seconds —and now a nine-point lead for the U.S, with a little over a minute now left.
“Just simply marvel at his amazing talent,” said LeBron James, who was named Olympic tournament MVP after the game. James finished with 14 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds against France. For years, James has been at the other end of Curry’s onslaughts. They joined forces, for the last time at these Games and quite possibly, ever, on Saturday. “Keep finding him,” said James. “Keep getting him the ball.”
Victor Wembenyama, the stretchy young French phenom who led France with 26 points on the night, responded with a three-pointer of his own, to cut the U.S. lead to 93-87 with 55 seconds left. France was still well within striking distance.
Then came the actual dagger. Curry danced with his dribble on the next possession, and with the shot clock-running down—but not quite at zero, so he didn’t have to take the shot—he stepped back and launched what looked like a prayer over two French defenders: Batum—him again—and Evan Fournier.
“Hell nah,” Anthony Edwards said afterwards, when TIME asked him if he thought the ball was going in.
“I was kind of like, what the f–k?” said Bam Adebayo of Team USA.
The ball sailed so high, it practically hit the Bercy Arena ceiling. By the time it fell through the hoop—”ohhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!” screamed one of the TV broadcasters—Curry had stumbled towards the sideline, in the neighborhood of half court. Ball game. Curry did his signature night-night gesture.
“Every shot you take, you think it’s going in,” said Curry afterwards. “There’s faith in whatever happens. But that was the end of a solid flurry of those shots. At the end of the day, all I saw was the rim. I didn’t see who was in front of me. It was kind of a late-clock situation.”
Curry finished the game with 24 points, on 8-for-12 three-point shooting, to go on top of his 36-point effort in Team USA’s semi-final comeback win against Serbia. He capped off a memorable Saturday for the United States, which along with the basketball gold, also won women’s soccer gold and three more track and field gold medals on the penultimate day of Olympics competition.
“It’s right up there with all of the greatest games of his career,” said U.S. coach Steve Kerr. “The shot-making was just incredible. But under the circumstances, on the road, in Paris, against France for a gold medal, this is storybook stuff. But that’s what Steph does. He likes to be in storybooks.”