Canada Falls Short Against France in Olympic Basketball Quarterfinals

In a tough match on Tuesday, Canada’s journey for its first Olympic medal in men’s basketball came to a sudden end as they lost to host nation France in the quarterfinals.

The Canadian team started off strong in the group stage, going 3-0, but they couldn’t carry that momentum into the knockout round. Despite a strong effort to bounce back, they ultimately fell to France 82-73.

France played aggressively, putting pressure on Canada right from the start. The crowd at Bercy Arena in Paris added to the excitement, making it a challenging environment for the Canadians. Missing shots and forcing passes, it looked like Canada was out of sync.

France led by 13 points after the first quarter, and that gap widened to 19 at the beginning of the second half. Canada managed to close in within five points at one point, but that was as close as they got.

With just 1:46 left in the game and Canada down by seven, France managed to snatch two rebounds off their missed three-point attempts. Evan Fournier then hit a long-range three-pointer, extending the lead to ten points and sealing the game for France.

<p“That was a bit of a punch in the mouth for us,” said an unnamed Canadian player, reflecting on France's aggressive start.

<pIt had been 24 years since Canada last made it to the quarterfinals, a feat they achieved in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Back then, they faced France as well and ended up losing by a narrow margin.

<pThis year’s Canadian team was eager to make history but fell short as France took control of the game early. They utilized their size advantage with players like Victor Webanyama and Guerschon Yabusele to dominate the paint, drawing fouls and shooting over smaller Canadian defenders.

<pGilgeous-Alexander, Canada’s star point guard, attempted to lift the team's spirits in the second quarter. He dazzled fans with his signature mid-range jumpers and hit a three-pointer, scoring 11 quick points to bring Canada closer.

<pHowever, France didn’t let up, closing the second quarter with a strong run, leaving Canada with a 16-point deficit at halftime.

<pThe free throw count was a telling statistic, with France getting 25 attempts compared to Canada’s eight, showcasing Canada’s struggles to defend without fouling.

<pIn the second half, things did look somewhat better for Canada. SGA continued to shine, making several shots and free throws. With some help from his teammates, Canada slowly chipped away at the lead.

<pWith the fourth quarter starting, a Canadian player quickly scored five points in a row, bringing the team within six, which was the closest they had been since the start of the game.

<pWith two minutes remaining, another Canadian player stole the ball and completed a layup, closing the gap to just five points. “We kept fighting,” said head coach Jordi Fernandez, highlighting the effort his team put in.

<pIn the end, it wasn't enough. The Canadians gave France extra chances late in the game by failing to secure defensive rebounds, allowing Evan Fournier to land two crucial three-pointers.

<pCanada managed to hit only 38% of their shots during the game, and an even poorer 24% from beyond the arc. Post-match, Fernandez expressed his disappointment, saying it was the team’s most selfish game offensively.

<pGilgeous-Alexander led the scoring chart with 27 points, while Barrett contributed 16. Unfortunately, the rest of the team struggled overall.

<pThis loss means Canada finishes their Olympic campaign in fifth place, with plenty to reflect on for the future.