Nicolas Batum was among France's leading scorers and more experienced players, but a 32-year-old forward didn't hide his anxiousness prior quarter-finals game against Italy.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
27
|
| Nicolas Batum | |
| Points | 15 |
| Accuracy | 5-12 |
| Rebounds | 14 |
| Assists | 3 |
"That was the most nervous I had got since I started playing for the national team in the past 13 years. I think the pressure I got personally this morning was the most because I could not lose that game. I have gotten medals in the World Cup and won the EuroBasket but personally, I miss the Olympics. I was super nervous and made mistakes to start the game, which cost De Colo two fouls, and so I really had to step up for the team, show the way, and it was a good team win," said Batum after his team's victory against Italy.
France will face Slovenia in Thursday's semifinal matchup. When asked about their upcoming opponents, Batum was clear, Slovenia are a tough team with a perfect record so far.
"They are the reigning European champions for a reason, and with Luka, they are 17-0. It is not all about Luka, even if he is arguably one of the best in the world right now. This is a great team. I mean, Dragic got 27, 6, and 4 today. Mike Tobey has been huge for them, and Prepelic can have a huge game. The list goes on and on. It's going to be a big matchup and a big game."
France head coach Vincent Collet was equally complimentary of Doncic and the entire Slovenian team.
"You can not let him (Doncic) score 50. Against Spain (when he had early fouls), they were 8 or 9 behind, and they came back from behind without him. This shows that this is a great team, with a fantastic leader."
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