France narrowly defeated Japan 94-90 in a gripping men’s basketball group game at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris on Tuesday, securing their second consecutive win in Group B.
Despite being the silver medalists from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, France found themselves in a fierce battle against a resilient Japanese team. Japan, who had yet to win a game at the Olympic Games, unleashed a barrage of three-pointers, sinking 16 out of 37 attempts from beyond the arc.
Yuki Kawamura led Japan’s charge, scoring a game-high 29 points on 9-of-26 shooting. Rui Hachimura added 24 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving two unsportsmanlike fouls. In the dying moments of regulation, Japan held a four-point lead, but a critical foul by Kawamura on Matthew Strazel allowed Strazel to complete a four-point play with just 10.2 seconds remaining, tying the game and forcing overtime.
“The shot of his life,” Victor Wembanyama said of Strazel’s clutch play at the end of regulation.
In overtime, Wembanyama took control, scoring France’s first eight points to put his team ahead 92-84. Although Japan attempted a comeback with two consecutive three-pointers, Evan Fournier sealed the victory for France at the free-throw line.
“The realization, the dynamic of the game changed,” Wembanyama said about France’s performance in overtime. “They were playing like underdogs, and we were waiting for them to punch a little bit too much. I wanted to make a point and punch first in overtime. And it worked.“
The 20-year-old standout finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. France’s head coach, Bilal Coulibaly, praised Wembanyama’s impact, saying, “I don’t know why he has to prove more. He was being himself—a great teammate, a great player. Proud of him.“
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France covered in cold sweat despite men's basketball win over Japan
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