Can the U.S. men’s basketball team defend its gold medal in Tokyo? That’s the big question ahead of the 2021 Olympics.
Team USA is loaded with NBA stars such as Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard playing prominent roles under coach Gregg Popovich. That talent can only take this group so far, though, as Team USA learned when it lost exhibition games earlier this month against Nigeria and Australia.
The Americans start off Olympic play on Sunday with a tough matchup against a France squad that features Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. That likely won’t be the only test Team USA faces in its quest for gold.
Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from USA vs. France to open the 2021 Olympic men’s basketball tournament. Follow along here for complete results from the Group A matchup.
MORE: Watch the 2021 Olympics live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
USA vs. France score
| Group A | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
| USA | 22 | 23 | 11 | 20 | 76 |
| France | 15 | 22 | 25 | 21 | 83 |
USA vs. France live updates, highlights from 2021 Olympics
(All times Eastern)
Final: France 83, USA 76
10 a.m. — Yikes. Damian Lillard falls down on the catch and loses the ball. France should be able to shut the door on Team USA here.
9:50 a.m. — Wow. Evan Fournier gives France the lead with less than a minute to go.
9:40 a.m. — Just an incredible performance from Jrue Holiday. He is doing everything for Team USA.
9:35 a.m. — Jrue Holiday hits a big 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter.
End of third quarter: France 62, USA 56
9:25 a.m. — France outscores Team USA 25-11 in the third quarter and takes a six-point lead into the final frame.
9:20 a.m. — Evan Fournier is carrying France offensively. He’s got 22 of his team’s 49 points.
9:15 a.m. — Kevin Durant heads back to the bench after being whistled for his fourth foul. Who will step up for Team USA?
Kevin Durant has 4 fouls. (In FIBA, 5 is the limit). There’s 16-plus minutes of basketball left
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) July 25, 2021
9:05 a.m. — This guy is automatic from the line.
Halftime: USA 45, France 37
8:50 a.m. — Zach LaVine, you are cleared for takeoff.
8:45 a.m. — What a wild save by Nicolas Batum.
8:40 a.m. — Oh boy. Kevin Durant gets called for his third foul. That could be a problem.
Three on KD. International basketball allows five fouls.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 25, 2021
8:35 a.m. — Damian Lillard is loving the international 3-point arc.
8:30 a.m. — France runs a nice high-low action with Nicolas Batum finding Moustapha Fall for the easy dunk.
Good counter from France to Team USA switching/fronting. Batum flashes from the corner to the FT line, Fall seals, quick pass for 2. pic.twitter.com/QPwLdOdVKz
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) July 25, 2021
End of first quarter: USA 22, France 15
8:25 a.m. — Team USA is overwhelming France with its defensive intensity.
8:15 a.m. — Kevin Durant already has seven points, but he has also picked up two fouls in the first quarter.
8 a.m. — The starters for each team…
- USA: Damian Lillard, Zach LaVine, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Bam Adebayo
- France: Nando De Colo, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, Guerschon Yabusele, Rudy Gobert
7:45 a.m. — A couple of roster updates ahead of USA vs. France:
France announces that Frank Ntilikina (slight muscle discomfort) is out for tonight’s game in Tokyo against the United States. (8 a.m. EDT)
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) July 25, 2021
USA Basketball says Middleton, Holiday and Booker will all play tonight vs. France.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) July 25, 2021
How to watch USA Olympic basketball games
- Time: 8 a.m. ET | 5 a.m. PT
- TV channel: N/A live on cable
- Live stream: Peacock
The USA vs. France men’s basketball game won’t be broadcast live on cable television. Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, is the only place to watch the live action at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday. NBCSN is scheduled to air a replay of the 2021 Olympic opener at midnight on July 26.
Men’s Olympic basketball schedule 2021
(All times Eastern)
July 24
| Game | Time |
| Iran vs. Czech Republic | 9 p.m. |
July 25
| Game | Time |
| Germany vs. Italy | 12:40 a.m. |
| Australia vs. Nigeria | 4:20 a.m. |
| France vs. United States | 8 a.m. |
July 26
| Game | Time |
| Argentina vs. Slovenia | 12:40 a.m. |
| Japan vs. Spain | 8 a.m. |
July 27
| Game | Time |
| Nigeria vs. Germany | 9 p.m. |
July 28
| Game | Time |
| United States vs. Iran | 12:40 a.m. |
| Italy vs. Australia | 4:20 a.m. |
| Czech Republic vs. France | 8 a.m. |
July 29
| Game | Time |
| Slovenia vs. Japan | 12:40 a.m. |
| Spain vs. Argentina | 8 a.m. |
July 30
| Game | Time |
| Iran vs. France | 9 p.m. |
July 31
| Game | Time |
| Italy vs. Nigeria | 12:40 a.m. |
| Australia vs. Germany | 4:20 a.m. |
| United States vs. Czech Republic | 8 a.m. |
Aug. 1
| Game | Time |
| Argentina vs. Japan | 12:40 a.m. |
| Spain vs. Slovenia | 4:20 a.m. |
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