2024 Paris Olympics – Men's Basketball Semifinals Round-Up

The men’s basketball semifinals took place yesterday. And fans who watched the match live would be thoroughly entertained, as the four semifinalist put on a show that will live long in the memories of every basketball fan.

Tournament favorites USA overcame a motivated Serbian side, while host nation France got the better of their bitter rivals, Germany. Both the semifinals were so closely contested that a single possession could have determined the outcome for the losing teams. However, at the end of the day, the two best teams prevailed to the gold medal match. Fans who caught the action live should consider themselves lucky. But if you missed the matches, don't worry—we've got all the details covered for you. 

1) France 73 – 69 Germany 

This semifinal was a rematch of their group stage game, which Germany won by a scoreline of 85-71. Therefore, many fans expected the Germans to advance to the final. However, home support played a massive impact, as the French fans were raucous throughout the game. However, the Germans silenced the French crowd, as they raced to a seven-point lead at the end of first quarter. Les Bleus fought their way back into the game, as they outscored Germany 15 to 8 in the second quarter. Quarterfinals hero Guerschon Yabusele led the way for France, scoring 17 points. Meanwhile Cordinier and Wembanyama made important contributions, scoring 16 and 11 points respectively. 

Due to their collective scoring exploits, France started the fourth quarter with a six-point lead over Germany. However, Germany closed the gap to just two points, following a deep Franz Wagner three pointer. France tried to dribble out the clock, but Nicolas Batum’s 3-pointer rebounded to Wagner, who tried to turn and run. However, the Orlando Magic star fell out of bounds.  

As a result, the Germans had to foul Wembanyama. The 20-year-old missed his first free throw, but Wemby iced his second one to give France a four-point lead with 10 seconds remaining on the clock. The Germans failed to score a bucket, sealing France's place in their second consecutive Olympic final.  

On the other hand, Toronto Raptors guard Dennis Schroder did his best to will Germany to a victory, scoring a game-high 18 points. Franz Wagner added 10 points to Germany’s total, along with grabbing 8 boards. This match ended Germany’s incredible streak that dates back to last year’s FIBA World Cup. Before this game, the Germans had won 12 straight games in major international tournaments. 

2) USA 95 – 91 Serbia 

Team USA and Serbia faced each other before in the group stage, and it was a one-sided affair, as the Americans won by 26 points. However, Serbia raced out of the blocks yesterday, putting Team USA on the defensive right from the start. The Americans struggled to find answers for Nikola Jokic and the Serbian sharpshooters. As a result, Serbia held a 11-point lead at halftime. 

However, Stephen Curry took over the game in the second half. The Golden State Warriors’ icon has drawn criticism in recent months for not living up to his high standards during the Olympics. But when things get tough, the tough get going. Curry almost single-handedly willed Team USA back to parity. His 3-point dagger with 2:16 left on the clock handed Team USA the lead. Curry ended the game with 36 points. 

Having said that, the turning point of the game came in the fourth quarter when the Americans scored six points in a span of two seconds. Kevin Durant hit a clutch 3-pointer as Anthony Davis was fouled, giving the U.S. an extra possession. Off the inbounds, Devin Booker drained another three.  

Suddenly, Serbia's 78-67 lead was cut to 78-73, and the comeback was on. Curry then nailed a three that put the U.S. ahead for good. He sealed the deal with a pair of free throws with 8.2 seconds left, making it a two-possession game. Serbia couldn’t overcome the deficit in the final second, handing Team USA the chance to clinch their fifth consecutive gold medal in Olympics basketball.