TOUGH LOSS
NBA star Victor Wembanyama in tears and consoled by his mother after heartbreaking loss to Team USA at Paris Olympics
Steph Curry turned out to be Team USA's hero in the gold medal fight against France
SAN Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyma badly wanted to win Olympic gold for France in the blockbuster men's basketball final against Team USA.
The 7-foot-4 center was overcome with emotions after the Americans claimed a 98-87 win on Saturday.
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Wembanyama, 20, left his all on the court against the star-studded Team USA.
The Spurs big man registered 26 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal, keeping France in the game until the very last seconds.
As the final buzzer rang, tears started to drop down the former No. 1 overall pick's face.
TV cameras showed Wemby's mom, Elodie, consoling the NBA star as he fell into her arms.
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Team USA's Kevin Durant could also be seen embracing the emotional Wembanyama after the matchup.
France truly put up a fight against the Americans, making it a one-point game with just over three minutes left after a late comeback charge.
But Steph Curry, 36, made sure that the US would take gold home for the fifth time in a row.
Curry responded to the Frenchmen's surge with a flurry of 3s to crush the hosts' hopes.
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Among them was an unbelievable off-balance triple over a double-team that made it 93-87 for USA with 36 left on the clock.
The Golden State Warriors star finished the game with 24 points, a rebound, five assists, and two steals.
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He later gave credit to France for causing his crew lots of trouble.
"This was a test," Curry told NBC.
"France in their home building, you know they weren't going to quit.
"They threw everything at us."
NATIONS TO WIN OLYMPIC GOLD IN BASKETBALL
MEN'S:
- USA - 17
- Soviet Union - 2
- Yugoslavia - 1
Argentina - 1
WOMEN'S:
- USA - 9
- Soviet Union - 2
- '92 Unified Team - 1
With the victory, USA claimed gold No. 17 in men's basketball at the Olympic Games.
It will also have a chance to claim its 10th in the women's game on Sunday – in a matchup with France again.
But the dominance on the hardwood comes at a cost, the men's side's head coach Steve Kerr said after the win.
"I think we might be the only team in the world whose fans are ashamed of them if they get a silver medal," Kerr said.
"That's the pressure that we face.
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"But our players, and you saw Steph, they love the pressure. They appreciate this atmosphere.
"They were fantastic."