After making headlines in the French media ahead of the crucial Olympic quarterfinal game against Canada, Evan Fournier and head coach Vincent Collet managed to handle the situation maturely for the team's good. In Fournier's eyes, it's an underrated aspect of the sport.
What should you expect before the crucial Olympic quarterfinal game against the favorites when the head coach reacts to his players' comments, calling them "a regrettable and unacceptable statement"?
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
22
|
| Isaia Cordinier | |
| Points | 20 |
| Accuracy | 6-10 |
| Rebounds | 3 |
| Assists | 1 |
Act like a grown man.
Vincent Collet did not start Evan Fournier in the do-or-die match against Canada, a team widely regarded as a top threat to the USA.
However, Fournier came off the bench, played his highest-scoring game at the Olympics (15), and made a decisive three-pointer from the logo to secure France's qualification for the semifinals, 82-73.
Fournier celebrated his crucial shot by raising his hands and screaming at the electrified Bercy Arena crowd, basking in the victory that propelled his team past a talented Canada amid the adversity they faced.
After hitting the game-winning three-pointer, Fournier joined his teammates in celebration and headed toward the huddle, where he shared a heartfelt hug with Collet, who smiled at the moment.
"We're just two guys being competitive. Coach Collet has been with us for 10 years now. I trust him. He trusts me. We have a love for each other. We're both competitors. Everything we say is just for the better of the team to move forward," Fournier told BasketNews, reflecting on how they handled on the floor the external noise surrounding the team's struggles right before the knock-out stage.
Questioning France's style of play following a tough loss to Germany, Fournier recalled that basketball had evolved from the 1990s and 2000s, where defense and half-court play dominated without much offensive balance. Collet responded by labeling Fournier's statements as "regrettable and unacceptable, for which he bears responsibility."
"When I said what I said, it was because I think we could have done so much better than what we did. That's it. I have no agendas. He [Collet] has no agenda but to win. And, you know, when two guys want to win, they figure it out together. We talked, and that's it," Fournier explained to BasketNews.
Evan Fournier
| Team: |
Detroit Pistons France |
| Position: | SG |
| Age: | 31 |
| Height: | 201 cm |
| Weight: | 93 kg |
| Birth place: | Saint-Maurice, France |
Collet made significant adjustments to the starting lineup, bringing both Fournier and Rudy Gobert off the bench.
Apparently, Gobert played limited minutes due to a minor finger injury, while Fournier scored 15 and was instrumental in the final minutes.
"Right after the press conference, we talked and cleared the air. There was no aggressiveness, there was nothing. Again, we just want to win. We talked, we prepared the game plan, and that's about it. I'm pretty sure he doesn't even think about it now," Fournier added.
Fournier emphasized the importance of healthy confrontations in sports, particularly when the goal is winning.
"Yeah, man," Fournier agreed. "When you have competitive guys who have the same goal and are trying to win under pressure, it is part of the game, man. You just have to handle stuff like men, and that's what we did. That's it."
Fournier had no issues coming off the bench against Canada and praised his teammates for their strong start. "We made a little change to the lineup; we adjusted and just stayed together regardless of the lineup," he recalled.
He expressed pride in seeing France start strong against Canada, taking a powerful 23-10 lead in the first quarter. France built a 19-point lead in the first half and managed to keep Canada 16 points below their average in the "Group of Death," leading for 39:43 of the game.
"I'm very proud because that roster, that team, was born in 2019 in China. During that tournament, we never played with the heart that we showed in previous years. That's what happened last year as well. We weren't ourselves, and tonight, we were ourselves," Fournier told BasketNews when asked about the strong start.
"It feels good to beat a good team. But what feels better is that we played our brand of basketball tonight. I thought we previously weren't as good or as focused or as disciplined as we should have been. And tonight we got that back again."
