Beaten by Canada despite a good Victor Wembanyama, the Blues are not reassured one week before the Paris 2024 Olympics

The French team suffered a third defeat in a row on Friday against the Canadians led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The trigger is long overdue. Les Bleus delivered another lackluster performance, beaten by Canada (73-85) in a warm-up match for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Friday, July 19 at the CO’Met in Orléans. After defeats against the German world champions (65-70) and the Serbian vice-world champions (67-79), the French team conceded a third defeat in a row against the recent third-place finishers in the World Cup, who have ten NBA (American basketball league) players in their squad.

Still laborious in their offensive animation, the Blues nevertheless held the Canadians for a long time thanks to Victor Wembanyama, author of a huge second quarter (8 points, 3 assists) leaving his team within reach at the break (40-44). Guerschon Yabusele was also very effective (19 points, 6 out of 11 shooting). But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, almost as dominant as during the correction received during the 2023 World Cup (65-95), once again made Vincent Collet’s men suffer (23 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists).

Beaten again by a competitor on the Olympic podium, the French team has one last preparation match to reassure itself, Sunday July 21 (9:00 p.m.) against Australia, bronze medalist at the Tokyo 2021 Games, still at the CO’Met in Orléans. The Blues will make their entry into the Olympic tournament on July 27, against Brazil.