Behind a raucous crowd at the
Bercy Arena in Paris, Hosts France played a great game to grab a
huge win over Canada, 82-73, and book a spot in the semifinals at
the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The French fed off the high
intensity and energy inside the Bercy Arena to deny the Canadians,
who coming to the game, were in huge favorites. Canada did not lose
a single game in pool play despite being in the so-called ‘Group of
Death’. They were flawless and were looking to claim the hosts as
their next victim on their way to pursue a gold medal, however,
France had other plans in mind.
To counter Canada’s speed and
strength with their guards, France and head coach Vincent Collet
opted to start Guerschon Yabusele at the 4 alongside French phenom
Victor Wembanyama at the 5 instead of Rudy Gobert. This was an
effort to have a faster lineup, and it paid dividends for France.
Yabusele feasted on a smaller Canadian frontline, leading the team
in scoring with 22 points. He pounded the ball inside and was
aggressive looking for his shot, providing the extra scoring punch
France needed. Matthias Lessort also did the same thing off the
bench as he scored 14 points of his own off of similar actions like
Yabusele.
Wembanyama struggled to find his
offense as he finished just 2/10 from the field good for 10 points,
but he provided perhaps the biggest play of the game when he
blocked a shot in the 4th quarter as Canada was mounting their
comeback. Wembanyama’s block effectively sealed the deal for France
before Evan Fournier knocked in a deep three to strike the dagger
into the Canadians’ hearts.
NBA superstar Shai
Gilgeous-Alexander once again led Team Canada with 27 points, 5
rebounds, and 4 assists however teammate Jamal Murray struggled yet
again with just 7 points on 3/13 shooting.
Canada went down early up to as
much as 20 points in the first half after a barrage of highlight
plays and crowd-hyping moments inside the Bercy Arena. It was as
loud as its ever been with the home team playing, and it became the
energy that France needed to take the win vs Canada.
The Canadians attempted to make
one last push for a comeback in the 4th when RJ Barrett hit a huge
three to come within 6 points, 61-55. However, that was the closest
the Canadians could go in the 4th as France kept hitting shots to
keep Canada away.
Up next for France is a rematch
between reigning FIBA World Champions Germany in the semifinals for
a slot in the gold medal game. France lost to Germany in the group
stage to finish 2nd in the group, so they should be eager to win
the game as payback.
