Paris 2024: Fantastic French basketball players against Germany (73-69), they are in the final!
So disappointing during the group stage, the French 5×5 basketball team is in the final of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. After a major performance against favorite Germany, the Blues will undoubtedly meet Team USA for a remake of the Tokyo 2021 final, Saturday evening (21:30 p.m.).
In an incandescent Bercy arena, the French basketball team completely outwitted Germany, the reigning world champion. Defeated sharply in the group stages by this same team, France showed a completely different side, as against Canada in the quarter-final.
Initially dominated at the start of the match, the Blues quickly closed ranks. And they come back to the score at half-time (33-33). Around an omnipresent Isaia Cordinier (Virtus Bologne), a Mathias Lessort (Panathinaikos) mover, Nicolas Batum (Los Angeles Clippers) as specialist stratospheric counters and Victor Wembanyama defensive monster and master smuggler, the Blues are starving to death.
Everyone has their role, everyone brings their stone to the building. And the Germans are losing their footing. France then takes a 10-point lead. Six minutes to go. The match becomes ever more unbreathable.
Every possession is a fight. 3'40 to play and 9 points ahead for Vincent Collet's men. 3 minutes to play, 6 points difference, the Germans are there. So close, so far. The defenses take precedence. Less than 2 minutes to play, still 6 points ahead for the Blues. Maximum voltage.
France is running the clock and losing balls... Their hands are shaking a little. You have to be lucid until the end. In MVP mode, Guershon Yabusele sacrifices himself and takes a sixth foul. The new Brooklyn Nets player Dennis Schroder score in stride, 4 points difference (69-65).
The Blues score on a throw but Franz Wagner plants a long distance banderilla (70-68), so far only 3/9 shooting! Unbreathable. Twelve seconds to play, ball to the Blues. Foul on Victor Wembanyama, who scores one throw out of two (71-68). Germany has the ball to equalize, Dennis Schröder fails.
Historic moment for French basketball, second Olympic final in three years! No doubt again against the United States, who face Serbia this evening (21 p.m.). It's crazy !
