Fournier revealed that Rudy Gobert had minor surgery on one of his fingers and wasn't supposed to play against Canada at all.
After previously starting all three group-stage games, both Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert began the quarterfinal match against Canada on the bench. Fournier later explained the drastic reduction in Gobert's playing time.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
22
|
| Isaia Cordinier | |
| Points | 20 |
| Accuracy | 6-10 |
| Rebounds | 3 |
| Assists | 1 |
Gobert previously averaged more than 21 minutes of playing time per game. Against Canada, he played for only 3 minutes and 41 seconds.
Asked about the change in the starting lineup, Fournier revealed that it was a surprise Gobert even played that much.
"First of all, Rudy was not even supposed to play. He got a little surgery last night on his finger. Just the fact that he was available to play shows how much this means to him," Fournier told BasketNews. "He's given us everything he has."
"We made a little change to the lineup, we adjusted, and we just started better regardless of who was in the lineup," the player said. "We had a game plan, and we just followed it."
Fournier himself had his best game of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, scoring 15 points and hitting a ridiculous three-pointer that essentially put the game to rest in the fourth quarter.
