Victor Wembanyama’s France men’s basketball team defeated Japan in a hard-fought overtime victory.
France defeated Japan 94-90 in overtime in their Group B men’s basketball game at the Paris Olympics at the Pierre Moreau Stadium in Paris on Monday (Feb. 31).
It was France’s second straight win in the group stage, while Japan suffered its second loss.
Wembanyama, the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Rookie of the Year for the 2023-2024 season, played 31 minutes while battling through an injury, scoring 18 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out six assists.
Wembanyama limped off the court holding his right leg in the first quarter, and he appeared to be struggling as he touched his hip on several occasions.
Trailing 80-84 with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter, France tied the game on a four-point play in which Masha Strazel (17 points) hit a 3-pointer followed by two free throws to send the game into overtime.
Wembanyama scored eight points in the first three minutes and 20 seconds of overtime to give France the lead for good.
“Japan played like an underdog,” Wembanyama said, ”I thought we had to strike first in overtime and it worked.”
Japan was led by 5-foot-9 guard Yuki Kawamura, who scored 29 points, and Rui Hachimura, who plays for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, added 24 points.
However, they were unable to get over the hump as Hachimura picked up his second unsportsmanlike foul early in the fourth quarter and was ejected. 안전놀이터