Victor Wembanyama and France Prepare for Slovenia and Sweden After Serbia Clash

Bien lancée, la sélection de Frédéric Fauthoux se mesurera à la Slovénie jeudi prochain à Bercy, avant de se déplacer en Suède dimanche prochain. Les Tricolores ont livré une première période irréprochable, combinant un jeu d’attaque ultra-rapide à une défense asphyxiante envers les Serbes. Malgré un avantage grimpant jusqu’à 19 longueurs, la rencontre a failli leur échapper lors d’un troisième quart-temps cauchemardesque. Portée par un Nikola Jokic discret avant la pause mais survoltant ensuite (34 points, 13 rebonds et 5 fautes), la Serbie a débordé la France avant que celle-ci ne se relève vaillamment, notamment grâce à la performance de Sylvain Francisco (20 points avec un 4/8 à trois-points, 4 passes). Les contributions de Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (19 points) et de Victor Wembanyama (18 points, 0/4 à trois-points) ont complété le trio majeur des marqueurs français.

A Scintillating First Half and a Dominant French Start

Playing in front of a sold-out crowd that packed the venue in just 24 hours, France came out with sharp offensive execution and intense defensive pressure. Fellow starter Sylvain Francisco added an early triple, while team captain Victor Wembanyama asserted his presence defensively by blocking Jokic twice in the paint during the opening frames.

The stellar connection between Matthew Strazel and Wembanyama clicked seamlessly in the second quarter, leading to spectacular dunks and fouls drawn under the rim. France’s defense kept the visitors completely disoriented, holding the Serbian attack to just 13 points in the second quarter. By halftime, Fauthoux’s squad commanded a comfortable 54-35 advantage, propelled by rapid transitions and airtight perimeter rotations.

Jokic Sparks a Massive Serbian Comeback

The script flipped entirely after the intermission. Nikola Jokic, relatively quiet in the opening two quarters, delivered a dominant performance down the stretch, finishing with 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 personal fouls.

Sylvain Francisco led the French scoring effort with 20 points—including four successful three-pointers—alongside 4 assists. Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot contributed 19 points, and Victor Wembanyama added 18 points to anchor the hosts through the tense closing sequence.

Next Steps on the International Preparation Trail

This high-stakes two-game series against Serbia served as a rigorous preparatory test for upcoming international matchups.