Canada came into the Paris Olympics loaded with NBA players and hopeful of the country’s first medal since 1936.
Team Canada was coming off a bronze-medal finish at last year’s FIBA World Cup.
But the Canadians suffered a bitter disappointment on Tuesday, losing to France 82-73 in the quarterfinals, and finishing fifth overall.
“We didn’t match their energy and physicality,” Team Canada and Brooklyn Nets Head Coach Jordi Fernández said. “I thought our guys fought in the second half, but still, the second-chance points and the free throws didn’t really help us on the defensive end.”
“[We’ve] got to learn from these types of games,” Fernández continued. “It’s pretty cool that we get to play them and have those experiences because it really hurts. We’re going to come back stronger, and that’s how you can overcome this feeling.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 27 points, while RJ Barrett added 16 points, and Dwight Powell added nine rebounds in the loss. France was led by Guerschon Yabusele’s 22-point effort, while Isaia Cordinier added 20 points, and Evan Fournier scored 15 points, including a three-pointer to extend France’s lead to double figures with 55 seconds remaining. France jumped out to an early lead as the Canadians struggled to score in the first quarter, managing just 10 points on 3-for-13 field goals and falling behind 23-10 after the opening 10 minutes. With Rudy Gobert playing just four minutes and Victor Wembanyama finishing with seven points, it was Cordinier who sparked France early as he was inserted into the starting lineup, matching Canada’s scoring output himself with 10 points in the first quarter. “[France] was a team with a lot of energy,” Fernández said. “Obviously, what they did, with Isaia and Victor starting, made sense that they had a good juice going on, made threes to start, and we were playing catch up from there. We didn’t match their physicality and energy, and I thought that when we fought, it wasn’t perfect.” Gilgeous-Alexander did his best to trim the deficit by halftime, scoring 11 straight points for Canada midway through the second quarter, but France responded to every push. A three-pointer from Yabusele with 15 seconds remaining extended France’s advantage to 16 points, 45-29, at the half. France shot 9-for-28 from beyond the arc (32 percent), compared to Canada’s 5-for-21 (24 percent). France also finished with a 33-of-42 from the line, compared to 18-for-25 for Canada. “They came out the aggressors, they punched us in the mouth,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We obviously tried to make our run in the second half. It wasn’t enough, but that’s what happens when you let teams get off to a good start.” Canada won the third quarter 21-16, getting into their offence quicker and picking up some key baskets in transition. A three-point play from Barrett brought Canada within 13, 50-37, with 6:30 remaining. After stealing the ball, Lu Dort found Gilgeous-Alexander for a layup to get the deficit down to 11 points, but Yabusele made a pair of free throws to extend France’s lead to 52-39 with 5:01 remaining in the third. After a layup from Jamal Murray and a floater from Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada was within single digits for the first time in the second half, but Wembanyama scored inside, and Lessort made a free throw to keep France leading by 10, 60-50, after three. “We all wanted to win,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Don’t know why we started like that, but we did. Obviously, it hurts us. Get better from it. We’ll try it again in four years.” Barrett opened the fourth with an offensive tip-in and then hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to six with 8:20 remaining. France extended the lead back to 10, but a bucket from Brooks, followed by a Gilgeous-Alexander steal and assist to Barrett in transition, brought Canada within five, 65-60, with 4:09 remaining. A three from Fournier extended France’s lead back to eight. Dort brought Canada back within five, 71-66, with 2:14 remaining, but Canada couldn’t get the stops needed down the stretch to continue cutting into the lead. Fournier hit a pair of free throws and then a three-pointer, giving France a 10-point lead, 76-66, with 55 seconds remaining as Canada ran out of time to try to complete a comeback. The Canadian Senior Men’s National Team will finish fifth in Paris in their first appearance at an Olympic Games since Sydney 2000. “It’s the best basketball players in the world, so it’s a very hard tournament, if not the hardest,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Once you get to the elimination round, everything matters a little bit more. I think we’ll be more prepared for that next time.” Fernández was appreciative of the support the team had received from those watching from home, calling it a great honour to coach the group of players who brought Canada men’s basketball back to the Olympics stage. “I hope that people were proud of us [and] the way we played throughout the tournament,” Fernández said. “We wanted to give them more. I think that’s what Canadian basketball deserves. There’s a great tradition. There’s a lot of kids playing basketball, and you can tell they love to play for their country. So I wish I could have done better and given them more games, but like I said, this is part of how the Olympics work and these tournaments work. You win or go home, and this one, we’re going home.” While a fifth-place finish was not the goal when the summer began, Fernández is confident this experience will be key in the program’s return to the Olympic stage. “These guys have worked hard,” Fernández said. “They’re committed to represent their country, and they work really hard for their country, and I think that everybody should appreciate that. Obviously, you want a better outcome, you want a better result. It didn’t happen. It’s part of sports. We have very good players. We have players that will be in the next Olympics, and that’s how we have to look at it.” (Release via Canada Basketball) Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on FacebookSGA in tears over Canada’s loss 💔 pic.twitter.com/D2ELitJnop
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) August 6, 2024
