France Advances to Olympic Semifinals with Victory Over Canada

PARIS — After a tough loss to Germany in the group stage, France regrouped and delivered a stellar performance against Canada, securing an 82-73 victory to advance to the men’s Olympic basketball semifinals for the second consecutive time.

Guerschon Yabusele, who was added to the starting lineup, led the team with 22 points. Victor Wembanyama dominated the boards with 12 rebounds and contributed 7 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Isaia Cordinier added another 20 points for France, aiming to build on their silver medal finish from the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. France will face Germany, who defeated Greece, in the semifinals on Thursday.

Wembanyama praised the team’s resilience and focus after the loss to Germany. “We had a lot of time to think, to fix things, and the whole team was just so dedicated to fixing everything,” Wembanyama said. “Now we’ve got a good base to build on for the final phase of the tournament.”

French coach Vincent Collet made significant changes to the starting lineup, benching four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier. Gobert played only three minutes due to an unspecified injury sustained in practice, while Fournier entered the game late in the first quarter after a disagreement with Collet following the Germany loss. Despite these adjustments, Fournier scored 15 points and downplayed any ongoing issues with his coach. “When you have guys that have the same goal, that are being competitive and trying to win, it’s pressure,” Fournier said. “It’s part of the game. … You just have to handle stuff like that. And that’s what we did there.”

The new starting lineup of Wembanyama, Yabusele, Cordinier, Nicolas Batum, and Frank Ntilikina provided an immediate energy boost. France surged to a 23-10 lead by the end of the first quarter, setting the tone for the game.

Canada, however, did not go down easily. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 27 points and RJ Barrett’s 16 points, they managed to cut France’s 19-point second-half lead down to five points with less than three minutes remaining. “The start obviously put us in a hole,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I think we won the rest of the game after the start. But when you start like that, it’s hard to play against any team.”

Throughout the game, Canada focused on limiting Wembanyama’s impact, which allowed Yabusele and Cordinier to step up offensively. France held an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter, even as Wembanyama, Gobert, and Batum combined for only three points in the final period. Canada made a final push, cutting the deficit to 71-66 with a steal and dunk by Lu Dort.

With just over a minute to play, Fournier secured the victory for France with a desperation three-pointer from near half-court as the shot clock expired, extending the lead to 73-66. This clutch play dampened Canada’s hopes of making their first Olympic final four appearance since 1984.

Despite the late-game pressure from Canada, France maintained their composure and sealed the win. Their performance highlighted the team’s depth and ability to adapt, promising an exciting semifinal clash against Germany.

The victory over Canada was a testament to France’s determination and ability to bounce back from adversity. As they prepare for their semifinal matchup, the team will look to continue building on their strengths and aiming for a spot in the Olympic final, keeping their medal hopes alive.