France, Olympic and European runner-up, was eliminated this Sunday from the Basketball World Cup in the first phase when they fell to Latvia (86-88), who achieved an incredible comeback that allowed them to take the lead in the last 40 seconds.
Major hit for a team that is also continental runner-up and third in the 2019 World Cup in China and that had already started the tournament on the wrong foot when they were beaten by Canada (65-95).
The collapse in the last quarter (12-26) left “les Bleus” sounded and unable to react, with Nando de Colo sent off in the last minutes and despite 27 points from Evan Fournier, their most successful man.
Latvia, driven by Rolands Smits (20 points) and Arturs Zagars (22), thus headed for the second phase together with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Canada, who overwhelmed Lebanon by a difference of 55 points. Both teams will meet group G of Spain and Brazil.
Les bleus had no choice but to win if they did not want to be left out of the basketball world cup at the first opportunity.
Boosted by their success in shots from three and by a greater defensive intensity, France controlled much of the match against a Latvia that did not have its NBA star Kristaps Porzingis due to injury, but who never gave up.
The Gauls entrusted themselves to Fournier, one of the few Frenchmen who had been saved from the massacre against Canada and who again led his team in the first act. The outside game smiled at France, with a hit percentage of three of 71%. Fournier then scored four of his six 3-point attempts.
A first quarter dominated by the selection of Batum and Gobert (33-26), followed a reaction from the Latvians, led by Rolands Smits, which allowed their team to finish the second quarter with a slight advantage (23-20). The ten losses of possession by the French also contributed to the Baltic recovery.
The second part began with a tight 53-49. But the Frenchmen, Olympic runners-up and third in the last World Cup, tried not to repeat their mistakes against Canada, when they sank in the third quarter. This time it was not in the third but in the fourth.
Despite coach Vincent Collet’s cries to keep defending, the French team were wiped out in the final four minutes, reflected in a terrific three-pointer from Latvia Zagars in response to another three-pointer from Batum.
In a frantic last minute, Latvia took the lead with 37 seconds remaining in the game, but managed to keep it thanks to Sylvain Francisco’s miss from three. The first big surprise of the World Cup was confirmed on the third day of the tournament
