Blues on alternating current are painfully imposed against Hungary
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A resounding introduction, and then hiccups. On alternating current, the French men’s basketball team won on Sunday, September 4, against Hungary (78-74). His second victory in three games in the Euro basketball, which they play in Germany. But faced with the opponent presumed to be the weakest in the very tough group B of the competition, the Blues struggled. If the qualification for the round of 16 remains well under way, the French will have to show another face in the last two matches of the group stage (Tuesday, against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Wednesday against Slovenia).
“We started very well, which is not our usual, but we came down very quickly”, recognizes coach Vincent Collet. After quickly taking a 14-point lead, his troops, strangely permissive, let the teammates of Adam Hanga – star of the team and Real Madrid player – pick up again. By multiplying the loss of bullets (twenty in total), the Blues offer ammunition to the Hungarian pyrotechnicians, who do not need to be asked to hit the mark.
However, the French knew they were expected. “We had a good match but we must not get carried away and stay focused. Now we need consistency”warned the pivot Moustapha Fall, at the end of the victory of the Blues against Lithuania (77-73), Saturday. “Whether big or small teams, approach games the same way. » And the start of the game for Evan Fournier’s teammates seems to show that they know the importance of being consistent.
A day full of surprises at the Euro
But they multiplied the jolts. Each time they accelerated, to distance Hungary (taking up to 15 points ahead in the third quarter), the Blues slowed down, letting their opponent nibble away. Did they take the Hungarians high? “We lacked fundamentals, and it’s not just a question of basketball”notes the tricolor coach, ” hurt “ speak “lack of enthusiasm” of his troops.
After the match, the Blues were far from claiming victory, as the manner was lacking. “We weren’t very serious”Tance Andrew Albicy. “It’s a good team, we knew that if we played with fire a little, they would come back”continues Guershon Yabusele.
For his part, Captain Evan Fournier deplores “failing state of mind” of his team. It was their last chance [aux Hongrois]. The guys, they have a heart, a pride, they don’t want to go out and give everything. So when you’re not having a good game and you’re not confident, you throw a coin in the air and hope it lands on the right side. »
Winner in extremis – thanks to the solidity of free throws from Evan Fournier and Guerschon Yabusele in the last moments – the French team did not add its name to the list of teams beaten on Sunday by a presumed affordable opponent. . In this competition where the matches follow one another, and where all the teams played a “back-to-back” (two matches in as many days), Bosnia and Herzegovina unseated the outgoing European champions Slovenia (97-93), in the France group; Belgium got the better of Spain (83-73) and Turkey came up against Georgia (88-83). Three surprises, which the Hungarians would have liked to imitate, especially since a three-point shot from David Vojvoda a few seconds before the siren could have put them in the lead.
Expected “questioning”
“We came close to disaster, even if it could have been worse”, reacts Vincent Collet reassembled against his players. One day after welcoming the renewal of his team, against Lithuania, the tricolor technician saw them fall back into their ways.
“Last night, I had the impression that we had finally started to build our team and finally started the European championship; today I have the impression that it has been deconstructed. It’s not acceptable. » For him, certain attitudes of the Blues must “trigger a questioning”.
A reaction team against the Lithuanians after their inaugural defeat against the German hosts, the Blues will not have to wait too long to turn the page of this painful victory against Hungary. On Tuesday, the Bosnians await them firmly, galvanized by their victory against the Slovenians.
“We have already had the warning against them”, insists Rudy Gobert (15 points and 9 rebounds on Sunday). In preparation, the Blues got stuck at the end of August in Sarajevo (90-96 after extra time), and their captain recognizes that they have “revenge to be taken”. Including against themselves, after their score filled with false notes on Sunday.
The Turkish national team threatens to withdraw following the aggression of a player
The Turkish selection threatened to leave the 2022 Basketball Euros on Sunday, September 4, accusing the Georgian police of having attacked one of its players in the halls of the Tbilisi hall where Turkey lost against Georgia.
“Let them show us the images from all the cameras in this hallway minute by minute, without missing a second. If they don’t, I spoke to the president [de la Fédération] Hidayet [Turkoglu]we will leave this tournament”Turkish Basketball Federation Vice-President Omer Onan said in a statement. “The official Georgia police got into a physical fight with us”he assures.
According to the management of the Turkish team, the NBA winger of the Philadelphia 76ers, Furkan Korkmaz, was attacked in the corridors of the Tbilisi Arena after his exclusion in the middle of the last quarter, after a scuffle on the floor, .
“When our player joined the locker room, three Georgian national team players and security personnel got into a fight”said assistant coach Hakan Demir at a press conference. ” This is unacceptable. »
“I don’t know anything, I haven’t heard anything about it”said Georgia coach Ilias Zouros at a press conference.
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