Anthony Edwards

In an Olympic final where the Americans controlled the game from the start, it took a crucial shot from Steph Curry to seal the fifth consecutive gold medal. The French managed to come back from a double-digit deficit to within three points, but the Warriors’ star hit a key shot to put the game out of reach.

LILLE - The Serbia men's national basketball team lost 110-84 to the USA in a Group C Round 1 game of the Olympic tournament in Lille on Sunday evening.

Serbia got off to an excellent start, developing a 10-2 lead, but the USA responded with an 11-0 run and won the first quarter 25-20.

The first required step at the Basketball World Cup for the Americans is now complete. They're going to the tournament's second round.

An achievement, technically — but one barely worth acknowledging.

A fast start was all that USA Basketball needed to remain unbeaten as it keeps moving closer to the World Cup. Anthony Edwards scored 21 points, Cam Johnson added 13 and the US never trailed Friday in a 108-86 win over Greece in a World Cup tune-up game for both teams.

The Boston Celtics shook off the absence of injured Jayson Tatum and the early exits of Marcus Smart and Robert Williams to beat the Toronto Raptors 106-104 on Jan. 21 and push their NBA winning streak to nine games.

Jaylen Brown scored 27 points and Grant Williams added a career-high 25 for the Celtics, who improved their league-best record to 35-12.

Luka Doncic scored 51 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to their sixth victory in a row while the Brooklyn Nets stretched their NBA win streak to 11 on Dec. 31.

Doncic added nine assists, six rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot in a maestro performance for the Mavericks in a 126-125 victory at San Antonio.