By Kehinde Okeowo
When United States men’s basketball team lost to D’Tigers of Nigeria in an exhibition match played in Las Vegas , Nevada in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, tongues started wagging, and most pundits feared the team was on the downward spiral.
It however redeemed itself early this morning, when it won the Olympic gold medal by defeating hard fighting French team 87-82 points in a keenly contested finals, which provided the needed entertainment for basketball fans all over the world.
The dream team , as the US male basketball team is fondly called, started the first quarter against the French on a brighter note in comparison to their semifinal showdown with Australia, winning the encounter 22-18 points and leading with 4 points.
It was another entertaining but closer affair in the second quarter , but the Americans held on to win 22-21 points, with the first half tally ending 44-39 in their favour.
The third quarter resumed in the same fashion, with both teams trying to out scored each other. The French team once again fell short as it lost the round 24-27 points against the Americans , who now saw gold medal with their reach but must stay focused to win their dogged opponent.
The French team rallied back in the final quarter to win 19-16 points , but it was a little too late as the damage had already been done in the first three quarters. They ended the competition with a silver medal after defeating Slovenia 99-89 point in the semifinal. Australia and Slovenia are expected to play for the bronze medal later today.