For this last match of the international window of August, France are in Sarajevo this Saturday evening, to challenge a Bosnian team which is last in Group K. On paper, an easy match for Vincent Collet’s men has a priori, even if the meeting last Wednesday, against the Czech Republic, showed that there was still work…
And this feeling is confirmed at the start of this meeting: as against the Czechs, France is in slow motion at the start of the first quarter.
Another ignition delay
Taken by the throat from the start by the defensive aggressiveness of their opponents, the French players stammered their basketball: -11 (13/2) then -16 (22-6) after just over five minutes of play! The defense is holey, and moreover, the Bosnians do not miss much (12/19), like the site of Jusuf Nurkic, which compiles 9 points and 3 rebounds. Like last Wednesday, the French conceded 28 points in this first quarter, but only scored half of them…
The second quarter, fortunately, is more peaceful: finally entered their match, the Blues raise their tone in defense and therefore pick up the score very quickly (33-33). Essentially on counter-attack, thanks to the loss of ball of the Bosnians (15 in the first half), who completely lost their momentum. Two award-winning shots from Guerschon Yabusele and Evan Fournier later, France took control of the scores, and then continued to dig quietly: +8 at halftime (46-38).
Frustrating to see and certainly frustrated on the floor, and certainly not spared by certain sometimes surprising arbitration decisions, the French did not capitalize on the return from the locker room, despite a big end to the first period.
We find the faults of the first quarter: a defense connected to alternating current, phases of attack too often confused. And so, without really shining, even if their newfound defensive aggressiveness is certainly to be highlighted, Jusuf Nurkic’s teammates comfortably regained the score after the half hour (59-51).
Fifty minutes to decide…
But as an inevitable defeat looms at the start of the final act, Evan Fournier puts on the savior’s cape. The rear of the Knicks scored 12 points in the fourth quarter alone, and thus responds to Jusuf Nurkic, who also seriously increases in power at the end of the game, like this huge dunk on the muzzle of Vincent Poirier. After a decisive dunk, in the very last seconds, from the captain of the tricolor selection, the two teams could not decide between themselves at the end of regulation time and the match went into overtime (76-76).
The five additional minutes of play are not sufficient, at first, to designate a winner.
Fatigue sets in on both sides, and the two formations are evenly matched, with no player managing to take matters into their own hands. France has a chance to win just over two seconds from the end, but Rudy Gobert is penalized for an offensive foul, while Evan Fournier was launched towards the circle… A second extension is in order (85 -85).
This will be fatal to the French, completely dry physically. Vincent Collet’s troop clings on as best they can, but an attempt to equalize behind Evan Fournier’s arc is blocked, before a few seconds later, in the right corner in front of the bench of the French team , Bosnia, through Aleksander Lazic, plants the dagger and goes to +6. This will be the final gap (96-90).
With this defeat, France becomes second in Group K, overtaken by Lithuania, and it will have to officially seek its qualification next November, during the next qualifying window, during which the NBAers will not be there… But more broadly, five days before the start of a Eurobasket which promises to be tough in the group stage for them, the Blues are not particularly reassuring…
Photo credit: fiba.basketball
