The Canadian men’s basketball team is set to kick off the knockout stages of the 2024 Paris Olympics with a quarterfinal matchup against France on Tuesday.
Canada, led by Oklahoma City Thunder guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort, topped Group A with a perfect 3-0 record. France, on the other hand, secured second place in Group B with a 2-1 record.
The quarterfinals include matchups such as Germany vs. Greece, Australia vs. Serbia, Canada vs. France, and the United States facing Brazil.
In a disappointing turn of events, Canada was eliminated from the tournament after suffering a loss to France with a final score of 82-73. Despite narrowing the gap to five points in the fourth quarter, Canada was unable to complete their comeback. Gilgeous-Alexander led Canada with 27 points and five rebounds, while Dort contributed eight points. For France, Yabusele was the standout performer with 22 points, while Cordinier added 20.
With this defeat, Canada has been removed from the tournament, while France will advance to the semifinals to play against Germany on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. CT.
During the game, Canada showed signs of resilience. At the end of the third quarter, they had reduced France’s lead to 61-50, thanks to nine points scored by Gilgeous-Alexander in that period, bringing his total to 22.
However, France maintained control. Before halftime, they led 45-29, with Gilgeous-Alexander igniting late in the second quarter to score 11 consecutive points, bringing his first-half total to 13. Despite this, France extended their lead, capitalizing on their free-throw opportunities with 19 out of 25 successful attempts in the first half.
The first quarter ended with Canada trailing 23-10, struggling to find their rhythm after averaging 89 points per game in group play. They managed only three field goals from 15 attempts, while France found success with 7 of 15 shots.
For the quarterfinals, Canada’s starting lineup includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Dillon Brooks, RJ Barrett, and Dwight Powell, while France will start Frank Ntilikina, Isaia Cordinier, Nicolas Batum, Guerschon Yabusele, and Victor Wembanyama.
The quarterfinal game is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6, at 11 a.m. CT at Bercy Arena in Paris, France. Fans can stream the game on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.