France’s men’s basketball team secured a thrilling 73-69 victory over Germany on Thursday, propelling the hosts into the gold medal game at the Paris Olympics. The win, fueled by an enthusiastic home crowd, was a hard-fought battle that saw France edge out their opponents in the final moments.
FRANCE BEATS GERMANY 73-69 AND IS HEADING TO THE FINAL 🔥🇫🇷
Wemby: 11 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 3 BLK
Guerschon Yabusele: 17 PTS, 7 REB, 2 ASTThey will play the winner of USA vs. Serbia for gold 👀 pic.twitter.com/W2D9mGUYPx
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 8, 2024
Guerschon Yabusele led the French team with a standout 17-point performance, while Isaia Cordinier contributed 16 points, including two crucial free throws with just seven seconds left on the clock. These late-game heroics helped France fend off a determined comeback attempt by Germany, securing their spot in the final.
Wemby was in tears after France’s win over Germany 🙌
For the first time since 1996, the host country will medal in Basketball 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jA6OoxTDn1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 8, 2024
France, who were silver medalists at the Tokyo Olympics, now await the outcome of the other semifinal between the United States and Serbia. This upcoming matchup promises to be a rematch of the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medal game, featuring a clash between LeBron James, the four-time NBA MVP, and Nikola Jokic, the reigning three-time MVP. The winner of that contest will face France in what is expected to be an exciting and highly anticipated final.