Mission accomplished for the Blues! It was long, sometimes laborious before a final rush, but the essential is there. The France team, deprived of most of its NBA and Euroleague stars, won (59-72) this Thursday against the Czech Republic in the Enteria Arena in Pardubice during the before -last day of qualifying matches for the next World Cup. A competition which will take place from August 25 to September 10, 2023 in Asia and for which the players of Vincent Collet already have their sesame in their pocket. This may perhaps explain France’s catastrophic start to the match.
The Czechs, last in the group, who had suffered a correction in the first leg (95-60), in August, in a packed Accor Arena in Paris, were determined not to relive the same scenario and attacked the match on foot on the floor. Not Andrew Albicy’s partners. You have to wait almost 5 minutes to see the first basket in the game of the Blues… by the inevitable Victor Wembanyama (13-3). But the Mets prodigy will suffer revenge – a monstrous dunk – from Balvin moments later.
A time out and a rant from Vincent Collet – “we play like lazy people” – will not change anything. The gap widens inexorably, dangerously (21-3, 7th then 30-11, 11th). The absence of Terry Tarpey, victim of “muscle discomfort felt in one thigh” and left to rest “as a precaution” is felt.
The comebacks of Paul Lacombe and Sylvain Francisco (8 assists, 6 points, 2 interceptions and a spectacular counter for a 1.85m player) revived the blue machine in the 2nd quarter. The defense is finally in place. The intensity too. The Blues grab their delay before carrying the blow. Victor Wembanyama flaunts his immense palette, offensively and defensively by multiplying the counters. An aerial alley-oop from Paul Lacombe for Yoan Makoundou allows France to take the lead on the scoreboard for the first time (43-44, 27th). The Czechs will not come back.
“Wemby”, 3 matches in Blue and already essential
For his – only – third match under the blue tunic, Wembanyama has established itself as an essential setting. After scoring 20 points, then 19 points, during his first international outings, he set his new record with 22 points (with 4 shots on 7 from 3 points), 17 rebounds, 4 steals, 6 blocks and 1 assist. A real master class!
After the Czech Republic, the Blues will tackle Sunday, in the Loire Arena of Trélazé, in the suburbs of Angers, Lithuania. An opponent who corrected Hungary (89-64) on Thursday. This duel will give its winner first place in the qualifying group and “a better group”, according to captain Andrew Albicy, at the World Cup.