Jrue Holiday, Zach LaVine bring home gold with Team USA
Zach LaVine and Jrue Holiday were both on the court during Team USA's late-game collapse against France in their Olympic opener July 25.
It was the Americans' third loss of the month and just their first in Olympic play since 2004. While the pair of former Bruins combined for 26 of their team's points, it wasn't enough to overcome France in what wound up becoming an 83-76 defeat.
So when LaVine rose up for a powerful jam after the final buzzer had already sounded nearly two weeks later, the victory was all the sweeter.
Team USA men's basketball avenged its prior loss to France by winning Friday's gold medal game 87-82. While Kevin Durant's 29 points led the way, Holiday tied for third-most on the team with 11 and LaVine scored all five of his points in key moments down the stretch.
The United States didn't take its first lead until the final 90 seconds of the first quarter, and it was only up by two a minute into the second half. Holiday dropped four points over the next few minutes to give the Americans a little breathing room.
LaVine entered the game with 2:31 left in the third and immediately broke the game wide open. First, he made a baseline cut and hit a reverse layup to put Team USA up by 10 off a nice feed from Draymond Green. Jayson Tatum forced a turnover the very next possession, passing it up to Durant on the fast break before he dished it out to LaVine in the corner.
Falling away, LaVine hoisted one up and watched it clank off the rim, bouncing high above the backboard as Tatum prepared to haul in the rebound. That wouldn't be necessary though – by some insane stroke of luck, LaVine's shot fell right back down through the iron, and Team USA went up by 13.
The game wasn't over yet, as France kept things interesting down the stretch and had the United States' lead back down to six in the final minute.
Holiday had a chance to stick a dagger in France's heart, but he missed the open 3-pointer with 44 seconds left on the clock. He also went 1-of-2 from the free throw line the next possession and turned the ball over with 16 seconds remaining, the latter of which led to a made free throw by France that cut the deficit to four.
Durant made his free throws with the game on the line, though, and it was Holiday who pulled down the rebound on France's buzzer-beater attempt.
Holiday tossed the ball to Durant, who lobbed it downcourt to LaVine as the horn went off.
LaVine went through-the-legs for a dunk that didn't count, and he emerged from Tokyo a gold medalist.
Holiday and LaVine are now the 11th and 12th Olympic gold medalists to come out of UCLA.
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