By Steve Keating
PARIS (Reuters) -The United States kept the dream alive with a stirring fourth quarter rally to tame feisty Serbia 95-91 on Thursday and move into the Paris Olympics men's basketball gold medal final against France.
Trailing by double digits for much of the game and down 76-63 heading into the fourth quarter, the United States chances of a fifth consecutive gold were quickly dimming. Then NBA stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry took charge, bringing a wide-eyed capacity crowd at the Bercy Arena to their feet with a furious fight back.
The U.S. win delivered the final basketball fans wanted to see, as the American Dream Team takes on an inspired France on Saturday, in what will be a hostile Bercy Arena cauldron.
A rematch of the 2016 Rio Olympic gold medal game featured an intriguing matchup of NBA most valuable players with James, a four-times MVP against Serbia's reigning three-times MVP Nikola Jokic.
But it was two-times MVP Curry who came out with the hot hand, scoring 14 of the first 15 U.S. points in opening four minutes.
Curry finished with game-high 36 points that included nine three pointers and two clutch free throws with eight seconds to play to clinch victory.
"To come back the way we did... I've seen a lot of team USA basketball and that was a special," said Curry.
After grinding away at the Serbia lead, James drove to the hoop, tying the contest at 84-84. Curry finally put the U.S. ahead with a three-pointer seconds later.
The quick fire burst continued with James driving to the bucket again followed a Curry steal and another basket to leave a reeling Serbia down 91-86 and on the ropes.
"My teammates believe in me and I was able to come through for them," said James, who finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. "I told them that it's good to be tested. It's great to be tested.
"I'm 39 years old, going into my 22nd season. I don't know how many opportunities and moments I'm going get like this to be able to compete for ... something big and playing big games, and tonight was a big game."
FRANCE THRILLER
Earlier, bolstered by an electric home crowd, a turbo-charged France won a 73-69 thriller over Germany.
France was led by a 17-point effort from Guerschon Yabusele while Isaia Cordinier chipped in 16, none more important than two free throws with seven seconds to play to blunt a Germany fight back and seal victory.
"I think the national team, this jersey, brings to us that different energy that we can't find nowhere else," said Victor Wembanyama, the first Frenchman taken number one overall in the NBA draft.
"We can see how intense we've been over the last two games. It's something that we all feel as patriots. We love our jersey. We love our country," said the 2.2-metre (7-foot, 3-inch) tall centre.
After a loss to Germany in their final group game, France came prepared for a battle and got one in a tense nail-biter that was not decided until the final seconds.
French fans arrived prepared to party, but Germany dialled back some of that excitement when they jumped out to a 12-2 lead.
The arena was soon rocking again as France worked their way back, the crowd erupting in a mighty rafter rattling roar when Wembanyama hit the final basket of the half to send the teams into the break deadlocked at 33-33.
Fully fuelled by the pumped up crowd, France powered to a 56-50 third-quarter lead and led 70-65 with just 40 seconds to play.
Franz Wagner dampened the party atmosphere by hitting a three-pointer to cut the France advantage to just two, leaving a stunned French crowd on the edge of their seats.
But France refused to buckle. Cordinier's steely free throws turned the volume all the way up again with a massive celebration erupting as the final seconds ticked down, the players mobbing each other and dancing to roars of approval.
"Incredible moment with the fans," said Wembanyama. "They made it hard for me not to cry."
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Paris; additional reporting Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Vincent Daheron; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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