Featured Columnist IVAugust 6, 2024
SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP through Getty Pictures
France’s males’s basketball staff superior to the semifinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics with an 82-73 victory over Canada on Tuesday, however there was some concern with huge man Rudy Gobert.
Gobert performed fewer than 4 minutes and told reporters after the sport that he suffered a finger damage throughout a follow forward of the knockout rounds.
“I’ve full belief in my teammates and coaches,” he said of the diminished taking part in time. “It labored. You noticed the way in which we began tonight. The blokes had been able to play. They set the tone for the entire recreation.”
Sam Amick @sam_amick
French coach Vincent Collet signifies this wasn’t surgical procedure, however an examination that included an MRI and induced Gobert ache. It was an element – however by no means THE issue – in his taking part in time. Collet wished to go small(er). Gobert was cleared to play. Quotes coming… https://t.co/Mhzp3UWx3r
Gobert didn’t rating and completed with a single rebound within the win over Canada, whereas San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama completed with simply seven factors on a lackluster 2-of-10 capturing from the sphere.
Nonetheless, Canada was behind by double digits for a lot of the sport largely due to some comparatively unknown names for NBA followers.
Guerschon Yabusele (22 factors) and Isaïa Cordinier (20 factors) paced the scoring for the victors and mixed to hit six three-pointers. That saved a Canada staff loaded with notable NBA expertise corresponding to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray at bay even when France’s greater NBA names weren’t very productive.
The excellent news for France is it’s secure to imagine Wembanyama will play higher shifting ahead, which is able to solely improve its probabilities of taking house a medal in entrance of the house crowd.
Nevertheless, Gobert’s damage is motive for concern.
The street would not get a lot simpler from right here with a semifinal matchup towards a robust German squad that options Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Daniel Theis and Moritz Wagner. Germany additionally gained the 2023 FIBA World Cup and has loads of measurement within the frontcourt.
Gobert’s capability to guard the rim and management the boards can be vital in that matchup, in addition to a possible gold-medal recreation conflict towards the US with Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis.
