The 2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Basketball semifinal between France and Germany was a battle for the ages.

These European powerhouses faced one another in the group stage less than a week earlier, where the reigning FIBA World Cup champion Germany took a decisive 85-71 win where they led for the majority of the contest. 

France came prepared for their second meeting though, delivering a vastly different performance. Despite Victor Wembanyama being held to just 11 points on 4-of-17 shooting, France’s collective effort led to a 73-69 win that secured their place in the Olympic final.”

Germany built an early 10-point lead, 12-2, with 7:21 still left in the first quarter, but France battled back this time around. The score was tied at 33 by halftime before France’s role players turned the game around in the third period. 

Guerschon Yabusele, the hero of their quarterfinal win against Canada, stepped up once again versus Germany. He scored nine consecutive points over a two-minute stretch of the third quarter as both teams traded baskets. 

Isaia Cordinier then hit a pull-up three-pointer with 2:55 left in the third quarter to give France its first lead, 51-49, which also turned out to be the evening’s third and final lead change. With the raucous home crowd behind them, France began to pull away as each shot that they made only made the din at the Bercy Arena even louder.

Reserve center Mathias Lessort, whom head coach Vincent Collet has preferred over four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in the knockout round, provided France with the energy that it needed. He was influential in their run to close the third quarter, beginning with a lay-up to give them a three-point edge, 53-50. Lessort then intercepted a pass by Dennis Schroder on the ensuing play that kickstarted a transition sequence which led to a three-pointer by Evan Fournier that extended their lead to six, 56-50. 

Frank Ntilikina then continued what Lessort started, grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring on a putback to start the final period. Two minutes later, he capped France’s run with a three-pointer, giving them their largest lead of the night at 66-53.

Those were Ntilikina’s only five points in this match, but they could not have come at a more crucial moment for France. 

Germany rallied back and came within two points twice within the last minute of the fourth quarter. Their rally ultimately fell short though, with Cordinier hitting two free throws with seven seconds left to seal their 73-69 win. 

One major difference between their group stage match and this semifinal was France’s swarming defense on Franz Wagner. The 22-year-old forward, who scored 26 points in Germany’s group stage win, was limited to a mere 10 points on 10 shots. After scoring five quick points over the game’s first 2:39, Wagner only made two more baskets for the remainder of the night.

Yabusele wound up leading France in scoring for a second consecutive game as he finished with 17 points on seven-of-11 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Cordinier added 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Wembanyama found other ways to contribute, tallying seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in addition to his 11 points. France’s bench scored a total of 15 points, with Lessort and Fournier contributing 10 and five, respectively.

France now advances to the gold medal game, where they will face the undefeated Team USA. This matchup is a rematch of the Tokyo Olympic final, though both teams have undergone significant changes since then. Wembanyama’s two-way presence has been a game-changer for France, but they have yet to face a team with the star power of the USA.

However, anything can happen in the single-elimination final, and with the home crowd behind them, France has a legitimate chance of pulling off an upset for the ages.