(Paris) The hope was great. The disappointment is just as great.
The Canadian basketball players arrived in Paris as conquerors. Their preliminary round in Lille – three wins, no losses – fueled the dream of a first basketball medal in almost a century (Berlin, 1936). While in the opposing camp, among the French, it was a ruckus. The captain and the head coach publicly bickered about the strategies to adopt. It was like Ordralfabétix versus Cétautomatix.
Isn’t my plan good?
No, your plan is not good.
Ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra.
It could only benefit Canadians, right?
Well no. The Blues came out stronger from their dispute, to surprise the Reds 82-73. The Canadians’ Olympic tournament therefore ended in a damp squib, in the quarter-finals.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Dilon Brooks and Victor Wembanyama
The outcome of the game was decided in the first minutes. The crowd at the Bercy arena, in Bell Centre playoff mode, gave the French a tremendous amount of energy. “It’s hard to hear the calls (calls) in an environment like that,” Luguentz Dort explained.
The Blues quickly locked down their defensive territory. The Canadians, unable to get good angles, attempted mediocre shots. They finished the first quarter with a horrible success rate of 20% (excluding free throws). That’s very low. Less than half the NBA average (45%). At one point, the French even scored 12 unanswered points.
“The French came out aggressive, they punched us in the mouth,” commented Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, top Canadian with 27 points.
“We were strong, but we couldn’t take enough shots,” added Jamal Murray.
Frustration led Canadian players to attempt repeated individual attacks. The thing is, trying to break through the bottle alone against two or three giants was pretty much the equivalent of attacking the village of Ordrafalbétix and Cétautomatix with a blowpipe.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
Dilon Brooks
“In attack, I thought it was one of our most selfish games. We didn’t share the ball,” lamented Canada’s head coach, Jordi Fernández. So much so that at halftime, his men trailed 45-29.
The Canadians played much better in the second half. They found gaps in the French defense and chained together successes, until they narrowed the gap to only six points. But an exceptional three-pointer by Evan Fournier, in the last minute, killed Canadian hopes. Guerschon Yabusele (22 points), Isaia Cordinier (20 points) and Mathias Lessort (13 points) also contributed to the home team’s victory.
“We didn’t match their energy and physical play,” Jordi Fernandez said. “I think our players fought in the second half, but the second chances and the free throws didn’t really help us defensively.” The coach also briefly criticized the refereeing, which he called “questionable.” The French took advantage of 42 free throws. The Canadians, 25.
The players, for their part, mostly congratulated their opponents. “The French played a damn good game,” said Jamal Murray (7 points) who, like Dillon Brooks (2 points), had a difficult evening. “I give them a lot of credit,” added Luguentz Dort (8 points). “In front of their crowd, they did a great job.”
Despite the disappointment, Jordi Fernández hopes that this first appearance of the men’s team at the Olympic Games in a quarter of a century will serve as a springboard for the future.
“It’s a huge honour to be here. I hope people are proud of the way we played throughout the tournament. We wanted to give them more. I think that’s what Canadian basketball deserves. There’s a great tradition [de ce sport au Canada]. A lot of kids play basketball. I wish I could have done better and given them more games.”