2024-07-28 05:20:02
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Victor Wembanyama and Nicolas Batum each scored 19 points to lead hosts France to a 78-66 win over Brazil in Group B men’s basketball play at the Summer Olympics in Paris on Saturday.
Wembanyama looked fantastic in his Olympic debut, adding nine rebounds, four steals, three blocks and two assists as well. He shot 7-of-13 from the field notably posted a 14-point, five-rebound effort in the first half, when France fell behind by as many as 12 points before taking a 39-36 halftime lead.
Batum led France in the second half, scoring 14 points. He helped France outscore Brazil 18-9 in the third quarter for a 57-45 edge going into the fourth.
Brazil cut the French lead to 62-58 with just under six minutes remaining in regulation, but France responded with a 7-0 run capped by a Batum fast-break bucket.
Here’s a look at all of Saturday’s men’s basketball results as well as the latest group standings.
Saturday, July 27 Results
Earlier in the day, Australia beat Spain 92-80 behind Jock Landale’s 20 points and Patty Mills’ 19.
A strong first quarter got Australia off to a great start as the team outscored Spain 31-21. Australia kept its distance from Spain from there, although Spain cut the lead to as few as three points in the third quarter.
Five Australian players scored in double digits, with Josh Giddey (17 points), Dyson Daniels (13) and Jack McVeigh complementing the scoring effort. Giddey also dished eight assists for an Australian team that made 12-of-24 three-pointers.
Spain’s Santi Aldama led all scorers with 27 points.
Germany then defeated Japan 97-77 after Franz Wagner led the victors with 22 points. Daniel Theis added 18 more points for Germany, which shot 54 percent from the field in a wire-to-wire victory. Dennis Schröder added a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double, and the German bench outscored the Japan team’s reserves 38-7.
Japan struggled from the field, shooting only 36 percent. Rui Hachimura’s 20-point, 10-rebound double-double led Japan, and Yuta Watanabe added 16 points.
Canada closed the day with an 86-79 win over Greece. RJ Barrett scored 23 points to lead Canada, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted a 21-point, seven-assist outing.
Greece lost despite a phenomenal effort from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 34 points on 11-of-17 shooting. Team captain Kostas Papanikolaou complemented Antetokounmpo with 17 points. Only one other Greece player (Vassilis Toliopoulos, nine points) scored more than five.
Greece launched an incredible comeback late thanks to a 10-0 run capped by an Antetokounmpo dunk with 48 seconds left to cut the Canadian lead to 80-78. Antetokounmpo scored six points in the run.
However, Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a clutch jumper for an 82-78 lead. Antetokounmpo got fouled and made one-of-two at the free throw line, but Jamal Murray hit two clutch free throws in response to help put the game away.
