After previously averaging 86 points per game, Germany scored just 69, while France stunned the World champions and advanced to their second Olympic final in a row, defeating the Germans 73-69.
France previously handily lost to Germany in the group stage but managed to limit the World champions to just 69 points and celebrated an emphatic victory in front of their home fans in the Bercy Arena in Paris, France, defeating the Germans 73-69 (18-25, 15-8, 23-17, 17-19).
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
21
|
| Guerschon Yabusele | |
| Points | 17 |
| Accuracy | 7-11 |
| Rebounds | 7 |
| Assists | 2 |
Guerschon Yabusele had a great performance for the second game in a row. After scoring 22 points against Canada in the quarterfinal, the Real Madrid forward collected 17 points on 7-for-11 scoring and 7 rebounds.
Isaia Cordinier, who pushed France in the first quarter with 11 points in his tally, finished the match with 16 points and 7 rebounds. Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, had 11 points on inefficient 4-for-17 shooting, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks.
Dennis Schroder was the only player on the German roster with a double-digit scoring total for more than 39 minutse, collecting 17 points on just 6-for-17 shooting (3/7 2PT, 3/10 3PT).
Franz Wagner scored 7 points in the first quarter but didn't manage to score a single point throughout the next almost three quarters, scoring his first points since the first quarter when only 38 were remaining on the clock. He finished the game with 10 points and 8 rebounds.
Just like during the quarterfinal against Canada, Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier stayed on the bench to begin the game. Meanwhile, Germany started the matchup with a 6-0 run.
Down by nine (9-18), France went on a 7-0 run (16-18), forcing a timeout by Germany's head coach Gordon Herbert. However, Germany scored five points in a row and headed to rest after the first quarter with a 7-point lead (25-18).
Rudy Gobert stepped on the court for the first time only when 9:45 was left in the second quarter.
Victor Wembanyama slammed a poster on Daniel Theis, tying the game at 33 with less than a minute remaining in the first half. Isaia Cordinier missed a stepback triple, and the teams went to their locker rooms with the score tied at 33.
While both Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder scored 7 points each in the first quarter, they both went scoreless in the second quarter.
Guerschon Yabusele and Johannes Voigtmann each scored the first 6 points of their respective teams in the second half.
Down by 1 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter (48-49), France went on a little 7-1 run, and Evan Fournier's three-pointer forced Germany to call a timeout (56-50). Franz Wagner goes scoreless for the second quarter in a row, and France leads by six heading into the final period (56-50).
France kept limiting Germany's offensive chances, while both Wagner and Schroder continued to struggle. Andreas Obst made a triple with three minutes remaining to cut Germany's deficit to six (63-69).
Germany fouled Mathias Lessort during the last minute to take advantage of his sub-par free-throw shooting accuracy. On the ensuing possession, Franz Wagner hit a triple to cut Germany's deficit to just two with 38 seconds remaining (68-70).
Nicolas Batum missed a three-pointer, Franz Wagner rebounded the ball but almost immediately lost it, giving the possession back to France. Wembanyama was fouled and made only one shot (71-68).
France elected to foul instead of defending. Dennis Schroder made only one free throw, and France captured the win after winning the free-throw battle.
After previously averaging 86 points per game, Germany finished the match with just 69.
France advanced to the second Olympic final in a row after playing against Team USA in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
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