France vs. Germany highlights: 2024 Paris Olympic basketball semifinals

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France vs. Germany highlights: 2024 Paris Olympic basketball semifinals

Jack McKessy and Ayrton Ostly, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Thu, Aug 8, 2024 ·

16 min read

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The 2024 Paris Olympics men's basketball tournament semifinals feature two rematches from group play, starting with the first game of the day: France vs. Germany.

Host and defending silver medalists France took down Germany, 73-69, one game after pulling off arguably the biggest upset of the tournament in the quarterfinals. They had sent Canada , a team ranked second in odds for gold , home on Tuesday with an 82-73 win.

NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama is leading the squad in points and rebounds in his first Olympic Games. But this is a veteran-laden team, too, with most of the players from the silver medal-winning team in the Tokyo Olympics suiting up once again.

Germany had cruised through group play with double-digit wins in all three games. The team then made program history with its quarterfinal win over Greece. Even with the semifinal loss, this team set the record for the country's best result in the Olympics, beating the previous best of seventh in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

France is back in the gold medal game – this time on home soil. See all of the highlights from today's game from Accor Arena in Paris:

'Biggest event in the world': Pressure mounts on Victor Wembanyama, France in basketball at Paris Olympics

France vs. Germany highlights

When does France play next?

France will play the winner of United States/Serbia in the gold medal game on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

When does Germany play next?

Germany will play the loser of United States/Serbia in the bronze medal game on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 5 a.m. ET.

France defeats Germany, 73-69

Led by Guerschon Yabusele (17 points) and Isaia Cordinier (16 points), France fights back to bring down Germany with a strong second half. France advances to Saturday's gold medal game. Germany will play for bronze on Friday.

Cordinier comes up clutch

Isaia Cordinier gets fouled on France's next possession and sinks both free throws to give France the four-point lead with seven seconds left.

Schroder goes 1-for-2 from the stripe

France fouls the guard immediately after the in-bound play, and Schroder also hits just one of his two shots. It's 71-69 in favor of France with 7.4 seconds to go.

Wembanyama hits one of two free throws

Daniel Theis immediately fouls the 20-year-old on France's first possession after the turnover. Wembanyama missed the first free throw but sank the second to give France a 71-68 lead with 10.9 seconds remaining.

Wagner gives up brutal turnover

Just one possession after his offensive heroics, Wagner can't keep his footing after a tough defensive rebound and ends up out of bounds. It's France's ball with the lead and 12 seconds on the clock.

Franz Wagner hits clutch 3-pointer

He hadn't scored since the first quarter, but Wagner finds space at the top of the arc and nails a 3. It brings the Germans within two points. With 38 seconds left, France leads, 70-68.

Yabusele fouls out with 1:04 left

Yabusele, France's leading scorer with 17 points, fouls out after clipping Daniel Theis to prevent an easy basket. Schroder scored on the ensuing possession, and France's lead is down to 69-65.

Obst keeps Germany in the game

Andreas Obst hits his second 3 of the game to get Germany's deficit down to two possessions. France still leads, 69-63.

Bonga cuts into French lead

Germany's Isaac Bonga hits his second 3-pointer of the game to bring his team to within seven points. With four minutes left to play, France leads, 67-60.

Wembanyama tallies third block

France has five blocks to Germany's zero. The young center gets his third one by throwing up two hands on a Schroder 3-point attempt. Frank Ntilikina follows it up by draining a 3 of his own on the other end to make it a 66-53 lead with just under seven minutes left.

Wembanyama hits first 3

After six misses to open the game, Wembanyama finally gets one to go with eight minutes to play. He's up to 10 points, and after a Yabusele 2-pointer, the French have built a 10-point lead. France is up 63-53 on Germany with 7:15 to play.

France leads Germany, 56-50, after third quarter

Yabusele's 15 points and Cordinier's 14 lead the French. Les Bleus hit nine of their 15 shots in the third quarter. In contrast, Germany went 7-of-20 in the period, including 2-of-10 from beyond the arc. They're led by Schroder's 15 points.

Germany's Schroder, France's Cordinier go back-and-forth

After Schroder sinks a pretty-looking floater to give Germany a 49-48 lead, Cordinier takes the ball back down to the other end and drains a 3-pointer to give France back the lead. It's 51-49 France with under three minutes left in the third quarter.

Second Schroder 3-pointer draws Germany back even

Just a few possessions after his first 3 of the quarter tied the game, Schroder nailed another one from the left corner to tie the game at 45 with just under six minutes left in the third.

Yabusele catches fire

Guerschon Yabusele has nine of France's 12 points so far this half. He drew an and-1 off of a tough shot under the basket and drew "MVP" chants as he converted the three-point play.

Dennis Schroder nails 3 to tie game

Nice ball-handling by Andreas Obst drops his defender, and he finds Schroder near the top of the arc for a 3. The game is tied at 40 two and a half minutes into the second half.

Batum gives France first lead

After Germany missed three shots on its first possession of the second half, France finally grabbed the defensive board. Nic Batum opened the scoring in the third quarter with a 3-pointer from the right wing, and Les Bleus lead for the first time, 36-33.

Germany and France even at the half

Strong defensive efforts from both teams defined the first half of play at Bercy Arena. The score is still tied at 33, and Isaia Cordinier still leads all scorers with 11 points.

France ties the game at 33

After a few back-and-forth possessions, France goes on a 6-0 run. It's punctuated by a Wembanyama dunk over Theis to draw even with Germany.

Wembanyama draws and-1, converts three-point play

The 20-year-old runs a pick-and-roll with Batum, who finds Wembanyama driving to the rim. The center finishes through contact to make the layup and makes his ensuing foul shot. France still trails Germany, 28-25.

Wembanyama stuffs Theis at the rim

The young Spurs center gets a full hand on the ball to reject a dunk attempt from Daniel Theis, drawing big reactions from commentators Noah Eagle and Dwyane Wade.

Review initiated on contact with Thiemann

Germany's Johannes Thiemann went down hard after an inadvertent hand to the face during France's last possession. The referees reviewed the contact, but they didn't assess a foul.

France pulls within six points

Cordinier continues to make a statement; he now has 11 of France's 22 points. Wembanyama also hits his first shot to pull the French within two possessions of Germany's score. It's 28-22 two minutes into the second quarter.

Rudy Gobert enters

Nando De Colo picks up his third foul seconds into the second quarter, and Gobert enters with Nic Batum. It's Gobert's first time on the floor in this game.

Germany leads France after first quarter

France has been unable to fully overcome Germany's early lead. The Germans hold a 25-18 advantage after 10 minutes of play.

Wembanyama re-enters for France

Guerschon Yabusele exits for the 20-year-old center with just under a minute left in the first quarter. France still trails, 25-18.

Cordinier helps France cut into lead

Isaia Cordinier has been the highest scorer in the game, driving aggressively to the basket and hitting corner 3s in a 4-of-5 shooting effort so far. He has 9 points as the French cut their deficit to two points. Germany leads, 18-16, after opening the game up 12-2.

Lessort enters for Wembanyama

The French youngster gets a breather at the halfway mark of the first quarter, and it's Mathias Lessort that enters as his replacement. Lessort immediately scores two baskets, but the French still trail, 18-13, with three minutes left in the first.

Fournier enters for France

The guard enters for Ntilikina after three and a half minutes of play. Fellow NBA vet Rudy Gobert is still on the bench.

Germany opens up early lead

The Germans have yet to miss any shot in this contest. They hold a 12-2 lead over France with a 2-of-2 mark on 2-point shots, a 2-of-2 mark on 3-pointers and a 2-of-2 mark on free throws. France calls its first timeout three minutes into the first quarter.

Dennis Schroder banged up after foul

After drawing a foul on Frank Ntilikina, Schroder took a moment to stand up. He held his midsection while grimacing in pain but recovered to make both free throws.

Wembanyama wins tip

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft won the tip-off to give France the ball first. Les Bleus were unable to score on their first possession.

France vs. Germany: TV, time and streaming info

Date:Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024
Time:11:30 a.m. ET
Location:Accor Arena, Paris
TV:USA Network
Streaming: Peacock , NBCOlympics.com, fuboTV

Paris Olympics: Catch all the Olympic action with a Peacock subscription

What time does France vs. Germany start?

Tip-off for France vs. Germany is set for 11:30 a.m. ET.

Where can I watch France vs. Germany?

France vs. Germany will be broadcast live on USA Network. You can also stream the game on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, and fuboTV.

When does Team USA play in the semifinals?

Team USA is set for the second semifinal match of the day. They're set to take on Serbia starting at 3 p.m. ET at Accor Arena as well.

2024 Paris Olympic basketball bracket

Quarterfinals: Aug. 6, 2024

Germany 76-63Greence
Serbia 95-90Australia (OT)
France 82-73Canada
Team USA 122-87Brazil

Semifinals: Aug. 8, 2024

France vs. Germany,11:30 a.m. ET; USA Network, Peacock, and NBCOlympics.com.
Team USA vs. Serbia,3 p.m. ET; USA Network, Universo, Peacock, and NBCOlympics.com.

Remaining Olympic basketball schedule

Bronze medal match: Aug. 10

Semifinal losers, 5:30 a.m. ET; USA Network, Peacock, and NBCOlympics.com.

Gold medal match: Aug. 10

Semifinal winners, 3:30 p.m. ET; NBC, Telemundo, Peacock, and NBCOlympics.com.

France roster

PG Frank Ntilikina, Partizan
SF Nicolas Batum, Los Angeles Clippers (captain)
PG Andrew Albicy, CB Gran Canaria
PF Guerschon Yabusele, Real Madrid
G/F Isaïa Cordinier, Virtus Bologna
SG Evan Fournier
G Nando de Colo, ASVEL Basket
C Mathias Lessort, Panathinaikos B.C.
C Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
C Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
PG Matthew Strazel, AS Monaco
SF Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards

Germany roster

SF Isaac Bonga, Partizan
PF Oscar da Silva, Bayern Munich
PG Maodo Lô, Olimpia Milano
SF Niels Giffey, Bayern Munich
G Nick Weiler-Babb, Bayern Munich
C Johannes Voigtmann, Olimpia Milano
G/F Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
F/C Daniel Theis, New Orleans Pelicans
F/C Moritz Wagner, Orlando Magic
PG Dennis Schröder, Brooklyn Nets (captain)
PF Johannes Thiemann, Gunma Crane Thunders
SG Andreas Obst, Bayern Munich

France vs. Germany predictions

The Oklahoman : Germany 80, France 76

Justin Martinez says: "France won't have as much of a size advantage against Germany, which boasts NBA bigs such as Daniel Theis and Moritz Wagner. And while French guard Isaia Cordinier came alive against Canada, I have more confidence in Dennis Schroder and Germany's backcourt. Germany earned an 85-71 win over France in group play. The rematch will be much closer, but the final result will still be the same."

Sports Illustrated : Germany -5

Peter Dewey writes: "Germany has two NBA-level bigs in Daniel Theis and Moe Wagner to match up with Wembanyama and Gobert down low, and Franz Wagner has been one of the best scorers in the entire Olympics. Even though it knocked off Canada, let's not forget that France barely beat Japan and already has a 14-point loss to this Germany team in pool play."

ClutchPoints : Germany -4.5

Dominik Zawartko says: "We have to take Germany to advance to the Gold Medal match. They're firing on all cylinders at the moment and their squad has been playing lockdown defense all tournament. After shutting down Giannis Antetokounmpo and Team Greece, they should have no trouble finding a similar result here against Victor Wembanyama and Team France."

Covers : Germany -4.5

C Jackson Cowart writes: "Theoretically, France's rim protection should pose a problem for Germany, because their two best offensive players — Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner — are not incredible shooters. Their pathway to success is driving the ball hard, right at the rim, and finishing inside... got smoked the first time they played Germany, the value here is obvious. I'm going with the larger sample we have on hand that suggests Germany is the much superior team."

How many basketball medals do France and Germany have?

France has three medals - all silver - in the Olympic Games. They won those in the 1948 (London), 2000 (Sydney), and 2020 (Tokyo) Olympic Games. France lost by five points to Team USA in 2020. They also have two bronze medals in the FIBA World Cup tournaments in 2014 and 2019.

Germany has never medaled in the Olympic Games. Their best finish was seventh in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. They have won FIBA World Cup medals, though, with gold in 2023 and bronze in 2002.

Olympic medal count

1. USA — 94 (27 gold, 35 silver, 32 bronze)
2. China — 65 (25 gold, 23 silver, 17 bronze)
3. France — 51 (13 gold, 17 silver, 21 bronze)
4. Great Britain — 49 (12 gold, 17 silver, 20 bronze)
5. Australia — 41 (18 gold, 12 silver, 11 bronze)
6. Japan — 31 (12 gold, 6 silver, 13 bronze)
T7. South Korea — 27 (12 gold, 8 silver, 7 bronze)
T7. Italy — 27 (9 gold, 10 silver, 8 bronze)
9. Netherlands — 20 (9 gold, 5 silver, 6 bronze)
10. Canada — 19 (6 gold, 4 silver, 9 bronze)
11. Germany — 18 (8 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze)
12. Brazil — 14 (2 gold, 5 silver, 7 bronze)
13. Spain — 11 (2 gold, 3 silver, 6 bronze)
14. New Zealand — 10 (3 gold, 6 silver, 1 bronze)
T15. Romania — 8 (3 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze)
T15. Hungary — 8 (3 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze)
T15. Sweden — 8 (3 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze)
T15. Ukraine — 8 (3 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze)
T19. Ireland — 7 (4 gold, 3 bronze)
T19. Kazakhstan — 7 (1 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze)
T19. Switzerland — 7 (1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze)
T19. Greece — 7 (1 gold, 1 silver, 5 bronze)
T23. Croatia — 6 (2 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze)
T23. Israel — 6 (1 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze)
T23. Poland — 6 (1 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze)
T26. Cuba — 5 (2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)
T26. Belgium — 5 (2 gold, 3 bronze)
T26. Jamaica — 5 (1 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
T26. Thailand — 5 (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
T26. Kenya — 5 (1 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze)
T26. Taiwan — 5 (1 gold, 4 bronze)
T26. North Korea — 5 (2 silver, 3 bronze)
T33. Hong Kong — 4 (2 gold, 2 bronze)
T33. Philippines — 4 (2 gold, 2 bronze)
T33. Georgia — 4 (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
T33. South Africa — 4 (1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)
T33. Kyrgyzstan— 4 (1 silver, 3 bronze)
T33. Turkiye — 4 (1 silver, 3 bronze)
T39. Azerbaijan — 3 (2 gold, 1 silver)
T39. Denmark — 3 (1 gold, 2 silver)
T39. Iran — 3 (1 gold, 2 bronze)
T39. Uzbekistan — 3 (1 gold, 2 bronze)
T39. Armenia — 3 (2 silver, 1 bronze)
T39. Mexico — 3 (2 silver, 1 bronze)
T39. Lithuania — 3 (1 silver, 2 bronze)
T39. India — 3 (3 bronze)
T39. Tajikistan — 3 (3 bronze)
T48. Serbia — 2 (2 gold)
T48. Chile — 2 (1 gold, 1 silver)
T48. Ecuador — 1 (1 gold, 1 silver)
T48. Saint Lucia — 2 (1 gold, 1 silver)
T48. Uganda — 2 (1 gold, 1 silver)
T48. Czechia — 2 (1 gold, 1 bronze)
T48. Guatemala — 2 (1 gold, 1 bronze)
T48. Norway — 2 (1 gold, 1 silver)
T48. Ethiopia — 2 (2 silver)
T48. Kosovo — 2 (1 silver, 1 bronze)
T48. Tunisia — 2 (1 silver, 1 bronze)
T48. Dominican Republic — 2 (2 bronze)
T48. Malaysia — 2 (2 bronze)
T48. Moldova — 2 (2 bronze)
T62. Algeria — 1 (1 gold)
T62. Argentina — 1 (1 gold)
T62. Bahrain — 1 (1 gold)
T62. Dominica — 1 (1 gold)
T62. Morocco — 1 (1 gold)
T62. Slovenia — 1 (1 gold)
T62. Colombia — 1 (1 silver)
T62. Cyprus — 1 (1 silver)
T62. Fiji — 1 (1 silver)
T62. Mongolia — 1 (1 silver)
T62. Austria — 1 (1 bronze)
T62. Cabo Verde — 1 (1 bronze)
T62. Egypt — 1 (1 bronze)
T62. Grenada — 1 (1 bronze)
T62. Indonesia — 1 (1 bronze)
T62. Peru — 1 (1 bronze)
T62. Portugal — 1 (1 bronze)
T62. Slovakia — 1 (1 bronze)
T62. Zambia — 1 (1 bronze)

France players to know

PF Victor Wembanyama:The biggest difference between France's silver medal-winning team from the Tokyo Olympics is the 7-foot-3 defending NBA Rookie of the Year. Wembanyama is the youngest starter but leads the team with 14.5 points and 11 rebounds per game in the Olympics. Gobert is shouldering more of the defensive load, allowing Wembanyama to shine more on offense.

SG Evan Fournier: France's backcourt has struggled in the Olympics compared to their dominant duo in the frontcourt of Wembanyama and Gobert. But the 12-year NBA veteran Fournier came up big against Canada in the quarterfinals with 15 points off the bench. To make another gold medal game, France will need him to play well once again.

Germany players to know

SF Franz Wagner:One of two Wagners on the German squad, Franz has been a force in the Olympics. He's shooting 50% from the field with a team-high 20.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He is the top offensive threat for Germany, and Wembanyama and Gobert are tough defenders for him to work through.

PG Dennis Schröder: Until the quarterfinal win over Canada, France struggled against good guards. Schröder put up 26 points and nine assists in Germany's win over France in group play. Wagner may be tested against Gobert and Wembanyama so Germany may need its team captain Schröder to step up. He's shooting an impressive 51.9% from the field, including 41.4% from three-point range on 7.3 attempts per game, and that may make a difference.

France starting lineup

CVictor Wembanyama
PFGuerschon Yabusele
SFNicolas Batum
SGIsaïa Cordinier
PGFrank Ntilikina

Germany starting lineup

CDaniel Theis
PFJohannes Voigtmann
SFFranz Wagner
SGAndreas Obst
PGDennis Schröder

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: France vs. Germany: Basketball highlights at Paris Olympic semifinals

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