The Blues led by Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nando De Colo have totally thwarted (66-80) against Argentina's Luis Scola. Disappointment after the historic feat against the United States in the quarterfinals.
Forty nightmarish minutes put an end to the dreams of world title of the French basketball team, corrected 80-66 by Argentina's veteran Luis Scola, Friday, September 13, in the semi-finals of the Chinese Basketball World Cup. Forty-eight hours after achieving a historic feat against the American favorites, it is an immense disappointment for the men of Vincent Collet.
After taking the game by the wrong end, overwhelmed in aggression, France returned to the match in the second quarter thanks to Nando De Colo and Evan Fournier (23-24). Before being thrown into the trap by the formidable Argentine defense and never find the key until the end of the match, bowing at each quarter. Seven points at the break (39-32), France has delivered a basketball porridge after the locker room, without the slightest idea of play.
#FRAARG 🇫🇷 – 🇦🇷 Missed Appointment for Our Blues 😢 The Game Summary 👉 https://t.co/inWEe9m9y3 https://t.co/B6YaNgwLPI
Chaining three-point chess (7/31, 23%) and free throws (13/25, 52%), Vincent Collet players seemed to come out of the match mentally and did not find the leader to react. . It is even the younger of the group, Franck Ntilikina (16 points), who had to relight the flame in the last quarter-time, bringing the French to eight points. But the difference in success between the Albiceleste – which has no player currently playing in the NBA – and the Blues was too big to expect anything other than a frustrating defeat. Luis Scola, who turns 40 in April, was elected man of the match with 28 points and 13 rebounds.
An air of déjà-vu
"We never knew how to respond in aggressiveness, in attack as in defense. They clearly deserve the victory today, recognized the captain of the Blues, Nicolas Batum. It remains a match. We have to move on, beat Australia. We were not good tonight, we were not ourselves. "
Big disappointment also for Rudy Gobert, author of a mediocre performance against the Argentines. "It was a big game for us. (…) They were better than us, simply. We have a day to swallow the pill and be ready for Australia ", was trying to remobilize the French pivot.
Fatalist, Nando de Colo praised the determination of his opponents of the day:
"They deserve much more than us this victory. From start to finish, they played their game and we followed. There was not a moment when we tried to revolt. Against a team that plays aggressive and, in addition, who plays well in basketball, it's complicated. "
The summary of the match reminds Vincent Collet and his players of the scenario of the previous World Cup 2014, when France had been out by Serbia in the semifinals after eliminating, on his ground, the Spanish favorite.
Sunday at 10 am (French time), the Blues will play for a bronze medal against Australia, beaten 95-88 by Spain after two extra time. The Boomers defeated the French 100 to 98 in the group stage. The surprise final will oppose, Sunday at 14 hours, Argentina to Spain, two nations already titled (respectively in 1950 and 2006).
