Paris Olympics: France outplay Germany for the grand final!
Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 08.08.24. | 21:10
The World Champions, Germany, couldn't find a solution for Les Blues' centers and will play a bronze-medal game
Many considered Germany the best basketball team in the world after the USA since they had fantastic players in every position. After all, the Germans proved it at last year's FIBA World Cup. However, their way at the Olympics ended in the semi-final with a defeat against the hosts, France - 73-69.
FRANCE BEATS GERMANY 73-69 AND IS HEADING TO THE FINAL 🔥🇫🇷
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 8, 2024
Wemby: 11 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 3 BLK
Guerschon Yabusele: 17 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST
They will play the winner of USA vs. Serbia for gold 👀 pic.twitter.com/W2D9mGUYPx
The French centers were too dominant and aggressive, so the World Champions couldn't do anything in the paint. Once their three-point shot stopped working, the Germans couldn't find the solution in the offence. The fact that they scored only 69 points describes pretty well how good the French defence was, given that Germany managed to score at least 80 points in every match at the Olympics.
However, Gordon Herbert's boys opened the game much better than their opponent, taking the 12-2 lead. They had a double-digit advantage on one more occasion during the first half, and then Guerschon Yabusele and Mathias Lessort took control of the game, playing terrific defence in the paint.
As time passed, the Germans lost their offensive power, especially the Wanger brothers, who couldn't make a shot from a distance. Moreover, Germany shot only 29% (10/34) from the three-point range. In the end, it turned out that Dennis Schroder couldn't win the game alone. He scored 18 points but had a poor shot percentage - 6/18 (3/11 for three). The only double-digit player in the German squad was Franz Wagner, with 10 points, his worst performance at the tournament.
For the French, the two NBA centers - Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama - weren't as crucial as Lessort, who recorded 16 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes on the field. The San Antonio center had 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, but once more, Yabusele brought the victory to his team with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Isaia Cordinier had 16 points. France will face the winner of the Serbia-USA game in the grand final.
