Canadian wheelchair basketball players had a two-part game Saturday against the Germans. In control for three quarters, they were headed for third place on the podium at the Paris Paralympic Games, but instead suffered a 75-62 loss to finish just shy of it.
The Canadiens led by 11 points in the second quarter. Their lead was seven points when the wind began to turn in the third, which seemed to be felt on the benches of both teams.
Led by Thomas Boehme, the Germans began their comeback. They recovered offensive rebounds, put more pressure on the entire court and became more efficient in their shots. A change of direction that made the score 48-47 in favour of Canada with one quarter to play.
PHOTO CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS, REUTERS
The Germans celebrate after winning the match.
“Their pressure hurt us. They’re big, fast guys and they hit hard. I’m not saying we weren’t ready for it, but it took us a while to adjust,” Vincent Dallaire told Sportcom. “That’s how they came back. Then, the more it goes back, the more they scream and the more stressful it becomes. It’s a mix of all that that happened.”
The lead changed sides on Germany’s first possession of the fourth quarter. Three shots by Matthias Guntner made it 53-48 for Germany. Two Canadian turnovers followed at midcourt.
A heavy blow was dealt by the Germans with four minutes to play. Thomas Boehme, who finished the game with 36 points, made a 3-point shot that gave his team a 10-point advantage.
The Canadian team was unable to get back into the game, opening the door to German celebrations on the floor of the Bercy Arena at the end of regulation time.
“We didn’t play badly, even in the second half, but they made adjustments and we weren’t able to respond to that. That’s what decided it. It’s a shame because it was close, but the best team in the game won,” summarized Jonathan Vermette, limited to one rebound on Saturday. Vincent Dallaire had 3 rebounds, an assist and a steal.
It was the second meeting between the two countries at the Paris Paralympics. Canada won 68-52 in the group stage, but didn’t want to rely too much on that result heading into Saturday’s showdown.
“I don’t think the last game is representative of their talent. We knew it was going to be more difficult today,” Vermette said. “Today, we were more hesitant to take certain shots than we did last time and we forced things a little more. On defense, our rotations weren’t as quick, as clean. They had several opportunities to go into the key for easy shots, which we defended well last time.”
The disappointment was evident on the faces of all the Canadian players, including Patrick Anderson, who was playing in his sixth Games and finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. He was trying to become the first wheelchair basketball player to win five Paralympic medals.
Asked about their team’s progress over the past few months, the two Quebecers in the group noted some positive things in the interview.
“We saw a constant progression that was incredible. We never showed too much confidence and that helped us here. We lacked a little at the very end, but in hindsight, a fourth place, few people saw us there. It’s just a shame not to finish on the podium,” mentioned Jonathan Vermette.
Eighth in Tokyo and narrowly qualified for Paris, the Canadians concluded the Paralympic Games with a record of three wins and as many losses.
“It’s hard to say, but we came here hoping to win one. We did it by starting against France and we ended up playing for a medal,” added Vincent Dallaire. “It’s definitely hard, but in hindsight, finishing fourth in the world isn’t that bad.”