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Tokyo The U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team (5-1) earned the USA’s fourth straight Olympic gold medal with a hard-fought 87-82 win over France (5-1) in the gold medal game on Saturday  while the Women on Sunday  had a huge size advantage as they  trounced host Japan 90-75 to win the gold medal and continue a string of unparalleled titles and victories at the Olympics  at Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo.

In Men Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) scored 29 points, including the USA’s last two free throws to help seal the win. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) added 19 points, and Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks) and Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) each contributed 11 points.   It was not always pretty, but in the end, the United States men’s basketball team ascended to the heights they were always expected to reach. Overcoming a slow start to the Olympic tournament,

The USA trailed 12-6 to start the game and was 0-for-8 from 3-point before gaining some momentum. With the USA down 12-8, Durant scored 10 straight points, including the USA’s first score from behind the arc, to give the USA an 18-15 lead. France tied it up with a 3-pointer, but LaVine made a free throw and Tatum sunk one from deep to put the USA up 22-18 at the end of the first period.

 USA lead to 44-39 at halftime.

At the midway point, Durant already had 21 points, but the USA was getting outrebounded 23-14 as was still just 22.2% from 3-point (4-18 3pt FGs).

France came within two points at the start of the third, 46-44, but a 3-pointer from Lillard was followed by a score from Holiday and five points from Durant, and France called a timeout with the USA back up by double-digits, 56-45, at 6:25. France cut it back to six points out of the timeout, but the USA responded each time France threatened.

The USA and France previously met in the first game of Group A action on July 25, and France battled back from a seven-point deficit in the final 3:41 to take an 83-76 victory.

France came in to the Final with an Unbeaten record

In Women The U.S. has not lost at the Olympics since the Barcelona Games in 1992 — a remarkable stretch of 55 straight wins. This victory landed the U.S. its seventh-straight Olympic gold medal.

Led by veterans Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, who each claimed their fifth gold medals (the first basketball players to do so), the team's players are a who's-who of WNBA stars including Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, A'ja Wilson, Tina Charles and Sylvia Fowles.

6.9’ canter playing for HoustonComets Texas   Brittney Griner made  an Olympic record in a Gold Medal game wound up with 30 points. A’ja Wilson scored 19 and blocked five shots. Breanna Stewart had 14 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks.

For Japan, Takada Maki had 17 points. Motohashi Nako, with that shoot-from-the-hip style, had 16. Machida Rui had eight points and six assists, deceptively low stats for such an impressive player.

Japan gets its first medal

The Japanese women's basketball team has been a force in Asia for decades but has not had much success on the global stage. This was just their fifth appearance at the Olympics, and prior to this year they had never finished higher than fifth in 1976 -- and even that is a little misleading considering there were only six teams in the tournament that year. 

Coming into this tournament, they were once again not expected to be among the medals, especially with star forward Ramu Tokashiki out injured. In fact, coming into the final game of the group stage, it wasn't even a guarantee that they would advance to the knockout round. But they took care of business against Nigeria, which set up a remarkable run. 

First, they stunned Belgium in the quarterfinals thanks to a game-winning 3-pointer by Saki Hayashi in the closing seconds. That set up a semifinal showdown with France, who they had already beaten in the group stage. The second meeting was not as interesting as the first, and Japan cruised to a 16-point win thanks to some strong 3-point shooting. 

While the dream run came to an end against Team USA on Saturday, Japan still earned the silver medal. It's the first Olympic medal the country has ever won in basketball, and to do it at home only makes it more special. 

Detailed Scores

Men

USA 67(Kevin Durrant29,Jayson tatum19,Damian Lillard11,Jrue holiday11) BT France-85(Evan Fournier16,Rudy Robert16,Guerschon13,Nando Decolo12) 2218,22-21,27-24,16-19)

Women

USA -90(Britney Grinner30,Aja Wilson19,Breana Stewart14) bt Japan-75(Maki takada17,Nako Motohash16) (22-14,27-25,25-17,15-19)