The Blues did the job. Opposed to the Dutch in search of a victory for a year and a half, the French team assured the Kindarena of Rouen, by winning a large victory (89-65), this Sunday.
If the Olympic vice-champions took time to enter their meeting, especially in defense where the Oranje took several rebounds at the start of the game, the locals relied on a dominant Gobert-Poirier doublet in the opposing racket. Authors of respectively 10 and 8 points and 7 and 3 rebounds in the first period, the two friends contributed to the Blues returning to the locker room at the top of the scoreboard, with a six-point lead (45-39).
The Blues tightened the game after the break
In the second period, Vincent Collet’s players closed ranks behind and found an address worthy of the name at three points to take off. Evan Fournier, three times, and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot thus planted banderillas allowing theirs to count 20 lengths in advance at the start of the last quarter. The Blues then mastered the end of the game to win with a comfortable margin (+ 24).
Without Victor Wembanyama, Andrew Albicy and Moustapha Fall, but with Isaïa Cordinier and Élie Okobo who have, among others, pointed the tip of their noses, the Blues are starting their preparation for the Euro (September 1 – 18) well. They will meet Italy in Bologna next Friday for another friendly match.
