France stuns NBA player-loaded US squad in Olympic basketball

France's Evan Fournier goes for the basket past USA's Draymond Jamal Green during the men's preliminary round group A basketball match between France and USA during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama on July 25, 2021.
Eric Gay/AFP/Pool

TOKYO – A USA team led by 11-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant were beaten by France in a huge Olympic basketball upset on Sunday.

The French, with a team containing NBA players, including Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier, held Durant to just 10 points in an 83-76 win in the first-round game.

The Americans had looked rusty in the build-up to Tokyo, losing to Nigeria in a warm-up game, and the defeat will underline Durant's fears expressed before the Games that his side will not face a "cakewalk" in Japan.

Fournier was sensational for France, top-scoring with 28 points. Although the Boston Celtics player only scored four from 12 from the three-point line, he found his range when it mattered to help the French came from behind to stun the Americans.

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