The task appeared daunting for this first duel of the group stage. Yet, the Canadians delivered a fiery performance against the crowd favorites, who were pumped up in the stands of the Bercy Arena.
We knew what to expect, we knew they were going to be strong, said Vincent Dallaire, who scored four points.
He and his teammates were electrified by the approximately 12,000 spectators, even though the vast majority of them did not wish for their victory.
You can’t recreate that in practice, it’s so much fun! We wanted to play like that, we wanted to play in front of everyone. It was like an extra motivation, he said.
The Canadians, led by the 45-year-old veteran Patrick Anderson, executed skillful plays with finesse while not neglecting coverage in their territory.
The team strung together assists and limited costly turnovers. They also converted 71% of their free throws, compared to 46% for the French.
Watch the best moments of the wheelchair basketball match between Canada and France.Photo: Radio-Canada
In a first quarter that started at full speed, the Canadians were the first to score with two consecutive baskets from Colin Higgins, assisted by Captain Anderson.
The two players actually shone on the Paris court. In synergy throughout the match with long accurate passes, they scored 38 and 31 points respectively.
Trailing 0-4, the French quickly responded with several drives to the basket to tie the game 11-11. However, they let the Canadian basketball players finish the first quarter with a lead of 26-20.
The second quarter was just as explosive as the first, although the Canadian side was more timid. Far from being discouraged, France opened up their game with a flurry of successful drives, led by their star player Nicolas Jouanserre. Number 64 amassed 38 points.
The Blues headed to the locker room with a 41-39 lead at the end of the first half.
An Exciting Second Half
Canada turned the tide in the third quarter. The Canadian team managed to regain control of the match 51-49 thanks to a two-point shot from Anderson.
Energized, the Canadians then had a seven-point run to extend their lead. And just as the buzzer sounded to mark the end of the third quarter, Anderson made a three-point shot to make it 61-54.
The story repeated itself in the fourth quarter for the Canadian basketball players. They added 10 points to the scoreboard.
With this first victory, Canada must now face Great Britain in the group stage on Saturday. The British won their first match against the Germans. They had won bronze at the last Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
They are one of the best teams in the world. It will be another big match, Dallaire said. There will be no easy match throughout the tournament. Each one will be just as hard, if not harder. But it’s exciting, we really can’t wait.
The men’s wheelchair basketball team is in search of its first Paralympic medal since the London Games in 2012, where they received gold.