NBA All-Star Kevin Durant hailed his team for overcoming adversity on Saturday after pouring in a game-high 29 points to lead the United States past France 87-82 for a “beautiful” fourth straight Olympic men’s basketball gold medal. 

Gregg Popovich’s US team had headed to Tokyo after defeats to Nigeria and Australia in lead-up exhibition matches, sparking questions around their global dominance. “We heard it all over the past few weeks about our team. To fight through this adversity against a great team like these guys...to come together so fast—it was beautiful to see, it was beautiful to be a part of.”