Victor Wembanyama, France run all over Canada Olympic basketball team

Article content

PARIS – Canadian coach Jordi Fernandez tried to warn his players what was to come in a men’s quarter-final basketball contest played against the home nation, and in an arena where their boisterous fans would make advancing difficult.

Article content

Prior to Tuesday’s flat and futile 82-73 loss to France, Fernandez told his players the crowd would be rabid (it was) the officiating might be questionable (it could be argued as such) and that these were elements Canada would need to overcome (they could not).

The result was a meek effort after going undefeated in group play and a 24-year wait for the Olympics that was as good as over after a first quarter in which the Canadians and superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trailed 23-10.

“You play sometimes games like this with a home crowd with questionable fair officiating, with 45 free throws and I understand,” said an irritated Fernandez, who increasingly had difficult containing his anger with the officials as the game went on. “But it’s still frustrating because a lot of the explanations (from the officials) made complete no sense.

Article content

“But it is what it is. We knew coming here we’d have to fight against five players and probably when you see crowds (officials working the game) that’s usually what happens.”

The French were actually 33-for-42 from the line compared to Canada going 18-for-25, certainly a discrepancy in that department. But the fact is, the Canadians were inept in far too many ways to hang it completely on the officiating, though it wouldn’t be the first time at an Olympics that this has come up.

“[We have to] control what we can control and we didn’t,” Fernandez said. “But again, I thought it was not judged the same way at this point, it doesn’t matter. We’ve just got to be better.”

On that account, let us count the ways that the Canadian team fell apart:

Article content

• For much of the night, the Canadians repeatedly lost one-on-one battles particularly on the offensive boards. “They came out the aggressors,” Gilgous-Alexander said. “They punched us in the mouth. Yeah, they just play with more urgency, more force and like I said, they were aggressive on both ends of the floor.”
• The lesser-known French players were huge contributors as the Canadian bench was outscored by a lopsided 28-16.
• Much of the night, it felt like the Canadians weren’t even running their offence as France controlled the flow from the outset, never allowing their opponent to get closer than five points.After averaging 89 points in the three preliminary round games, Canada was held to just 73 including a woeful 10 in the opening quarter and just 50 through three.
• Though somewhat out of their control, France continuously made tough shots — including a series of clutch, momentum-killing three-pointers while Canadians missed too many shots from in close.
• The early start by France was lethal, especially when combined with the emotion in Bercy Arena. Canada actually outscored their foes by seven points in the second half. “They played better than us and they played harder,” Gilgous-Alexander said. “When you let teams get out to a good start that makes it harder on you.”
• Perhaps fuelled by the crowd’s energy, the French definitely played a more physical game, a fact Fernandez acknowledged after the loss. For a team in which medal contention was a real possibility, the Canadians picked a horrible time to abandon the competitiveness that had gotten them to this point.

Article content

All told, it was a poor showing by Canada — especially a shockingly inept first half, after such an inspiring run to qualify for Paris 2024. Despite all that went wrong, including the anticipated home-court advantage, the Canadians were in it late.

Fernandez is hopeful that the Canadian players will gain from the experience and continue on a path towards Olympic success after missing out on the Games for almost a quarter century.

“If you remember this feeling it’s not a good feeling,” Fernandez said. “And if you come back to the Olympics and you remember this feeling that’s how you break through. We can not forget how this feels and that’s how we move on from this.”

Article content