The basketball players of France, the current Olympic vice-champions, started with a victory at "their" Olympics.
Playing in Lille, at the partitioned "Pjer-Moro" football stadium, but in a real football atmosphere - in front of more than 26 thousand spectators, the chosen players of coach Vincent Kole defeated the Brazil of Croatian expert Aleksandar Petrović with 78:66 (15:23, 24:13 , 18:9, 21:21), in the first round of group B.
It wasn't quite as easy as the final result suggests, because the Brazilians led Malta throughout the first half, had a 12-point advantage, and with a three-pointer by Fournier in the last minute of the first half, they took the lead for the first time in the match - 39:36.
Led by the powerful, 224-centimeter-tall Viktor Vembanjam, a basketball player from San Antonio, the French tightened their defense in the second half, the Brazilians found it increasingly difficult to find a way to the basket, so France gradually separated.
"Karioke", however, didn't give up, with five minutes to go, they got to -4, and then the French went on a run for a maximum of +14 in the last minute. In the end, 78:66.
Vembajama marked the duel in Lille with 19 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks, and Nikola Batum was also excellent, who also scored 19 points.
For the Brazilians, Felicio and Meindl scored 14 points, while Jago and Caboclo, who scored a combined score of two points, completely failed! They were given by Iago...
In the same group B, Germany was convincing against Japan earlier today (97:77).
Bonus video:
