FIBA Update: Evan Fournier’s offensive outburst propels France to quarterfinals
France has been the favorite throughout this tournament. They are starting to hit their stride as Evan Fournier keyed them to a berth into the quarterfinals
France has been the team everyone has watched closely, looking for flaws and looking for a way to defeat. They are the defending champions. The team with perhaps the best player in the tournament and the best mix of veterans and young talent. France could be on top of Eurobasket for a while.
There has been little penetration into that shiny armor for France. There have been no losses despite shaky play. And now it looks like they are hitting their stride just as they start the knockout stage of Eurobasket.
Evan Fournier is an example of that. He was strong on defense and had numerous run-out dunks. He was shooting his 3-pointer confidently. The rest of the French team was following that momentum. Almost to the point they did not need Tony Parker (five points and three assists).
It was Fournier’s dunk that tied the game at 25 that sparked France to the lead and eventually a 76-53 rout of Turkey to advance to the quarterfinals against Latvia.
Joffrey Lauvergne and the bench for France remain an absolute key as France’s superior depth have worn away opponents and prevented them from falling too far behind in games. Lauvergne had 12 points and nine rebounds to lead France.
Fournier was big too. He had 12 points, six rebounds and three steals in his 18 minutes. France was +25 in his time on the floor. He was a big spark.
For Magic fans watching this, Fournier seems to be finding his rhythm now after struggling earlier in the tournament. It is just in time too with the games really starting to count now in the knockout stage. No team can lose now, obviously.
And France remains the team to beat.
Canada takes Bronze
Canada is not leaving Mexico empty handed after Friday’s disappointing loss to the eventual gold-medal-winning Venezuela squad.
Cory Joesph’s buzzer-beating jumper ensured Canada would take home the bronze medal after their strong play throughout the tournament. Objectively, Canada was the best team. They just had their worst game at the worst time. They will still have to go to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament next summer.
Andrew Nicholson too ended the tournament on a high note.
He scored 10 of his 20 points in the second quarter to key a run that gave Canada control of the game. He hit 8 of 13 shots in the finale. He really picked up his scoring in the last four games of this tournament, showing he still could be valuable to the Magic. Hopefully that confidence carries over into training camp from his individual performance.
Melvin Ejim had two points in the finale, but provided good work throughout the tournament. It was not a great finish for him.
Canada though can head home from Mexico with medals around their necks, which is better than nothing. They will still have their shot at the Olympics next summer.
Latvia surprisingly in final 8
There is always a surprise team that goes deep into the Eurobasket tournament. This year that team may undoubtedly be Latvia. They continued their impressive play with a 73-66 upset win over Slovenia in Lille, France, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Janis Timma continues to be a player defenses have to account for even when he is not producing. He had four points and five rebounds in his 17 minutes. Timma’s versatility on offense though forces defense to respect him. He has become something of a floor spacer for Latvia.
Really this win was a team win as they continue to play a very disciplined style of defense and hold opponents down.
Latvia used an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to get some distance and a double digit lead and held off Slovenia. They held off Slovenia’s 13 offensive rebounds, allowing only nine second chance points.
The task gets much tougher as Latvia takes on France in the quarterfinals.