They needed the Avengers.

The U.S. men, whose NBA titles, MVP awards and Olympic golds precede them, didn’t wear masks or capes, but they stormed Bercy Arena in the fourth quarter Thursday to lift Team USA over Serbia 95-91. The win — sure to be an instant classic — put the U.S. into today’s gold medal game against host France.

Some of the greatest players of all time, and certainly the faces of a golden era in the NBA that is watching its sunset, overcame not just a 17-point deficit, but a Serbian team that Team USA coach Steve Kerr described as playing “perfect.”

Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid — four former NBA MVPs were on the floor for the fourth quarter of a furious comeback that was needed to stave off a reordering of the basketball universe.