France’s men’s basketball team narrowly escaped a shocking upset against Japan in a chaotic Group B clash at the Paris 2024 Olympics, winning 94-90 in overtime after a jaw-dropping comeback. Despite being Tokyo 2021 silver medalists, the hosts faced a 🔥scorching 16 three-pointers from Japan, including a 29-point masterclass by Yuki Kawamura.
🇯🇵 Japan, winless in previous Olympic games, led by 4 points with seconds left in regulation after Kawamura’s clutch free throws. But chaos erupted when Matthew Strazel hit a game-tying 4-point play—described by Victor Wembanyama as \"the shot of his life\"—forcing OT.
The 7'4\" phenom Wembanyama then took over, scoring France’s first 8 OT points. \"I wanted to punch first in overtime,\" he said post-game, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Japan’s late rally via back-to-back threes fell short after Evan Fournier clinched victory at the free-throw line.
Coach Bilal Coulibaly praised his rising star: \"He doesn’t need to prove more—he’s a great teammate, a great player.\" But with defense shaky and Japan’s underdog grit stealing the spotlight, France’s golden dreams might need more than Wemby magic to stay alive. 🏅
