Advertisement
Australia markets closed
  • ALL ORDS

    8,153.70
    +80.10 (+0.99%)
     
  • ASX 200

    7,896.90
    +77.30 (+0.99%)
     
  • AUD/USD

    0.6517
    -0.0019 (-0.29%)
     
  • OIL

    82.62
    +1.27 (+1.56%)
     
  • GOLD

    2,236.90
    +24.20 (+1.09%)
     
  • Bitcoin AUD

    109,309.31
    +3,071.80 (+2.89%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • AUD/EUR

    0.6034
    +0.0004 (+0.06%)
     
  • AUD/NZD

    1.0903
    +0.0023 (+0.21%)
     
  • NZX 50

    12,105.29
    +94.63 (+0.79%)
     
  • NASDAQ

    18,272.64
    -8.20 (-0.04%)
     
  • FTSE

    7,974.43
    +42.45 (+0.54%)
     
  • Dow Jones

    39,745.49
    -14.59 (-0.04%)
     
  • DAX

    18,509.37
    +32.28 (+0.17%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    16,541.42
    +148.58 (+0.91%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,168.07
    -594.66 (-1.46%)
     

Team USA men suffer first Olympic basketball loss since 2004 as France seal upset in Group A opener

Team USA men suffer first Olympic basketball loss since 2004 as France seal upset in Group A opener

The USA have suffered their first Olympic defeat in the men’s basketball tournament since 2004.

Gregg Popovich’s star-studded side - which includes top-tier NBA talent such as Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Draymond Green, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum, among others - went down 83-76 to France in a big Group A upset at the Saitama Super Arena on Sunday.

The US men’s team have won gold at all but three Games since basketball first appeared as an official Olympic medal event in 1936, with their only blips coming in the form of bronze medals in 1988 and 2004. America boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980.

Not since an 89-81 semi-final ousting by Argentina in Athens 17 years ago had they tasted defeat at the Olympics, with that Day Two loss just their sixth ever suffered at the Games (compared to 139 wins).

ADVERTISEMENT

France were led by 28 points from Boston Celtics shooting guard Evan Fournier, while they also have the likes of reigning NBA defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Frank Ntilikina in their ranks.

The USA - who also lost to France in the 2019 FIBA World Cup quarter-finals - will hope to bounce back swiftly against Iran on Wednesday having also suffered successive surprise exhibition losses to Nigeria and Australia in the build-up to Tokyo.

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

The French, yet to win a medal in Olympic men’s basketball, are next in action against the Czech Republic, meanwhile.

Read More

Tokyo Olympics 2021 LIVE! Sinden settles for silver, Chelsie Giles wins first Team GB medal; Day Two latest updates

Tokyo Olympics 2021 medal table and count: First golds awarded; Team GB prediction, how it works and odds

Bradly Sinden misses out on first gold of Tokyo Olympics for Team GB in taekwondo

Team GB land first medal of Tokyo Olympics as Chelsie Giles claims women’s judo bronze

Jade Jones admits feeling “scared” and under “too much pressure” after shock first round exit at Tokyo Olympics