Olympics: US basketball team in shock defeat
A United States team led by 11-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant were beaten 83-76 by France in a huge Olympic basketball upset yesterday.
It was the American's first defeat at the Olympics since Athens 2004 and only their sixth overall.
Durant was held to just 10 points in the first-round game and was unable to inspire his team as the French came from behind to take control in the final quarter.
Evan Fournier was sensational for France, top-scoring with 28 points.
Although the Boston Celtics player scored only four from 12 from beyond the three-point line, he found his range when it mattered to help the French stun the Americans.
"I tried to be aggressive. As an NBA player, I know the players we were facing. We had to show the team how to attack them," Fournier said.
Fournier's three-pointer with 57 seconds remaining put his team ahead 76-74 and when Durant hit the rim with a three-pointer himself, the French closed out the game with a succession of free-throws.
The US face Iran in their next game on Wednesday, while France take on hosts Japan. - AFP
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