Victor Wembanyama and the French men's basketball team booked a trip to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics with a wild win over Japan on Tuesday.
Trailing by four inside the final 15 seconds of regulation, French guard Matthew Strazel made a 3-point shot while being fouled. Strazel converted the game-tying free throw before Japan's Yuki Kawamura missed a potential game-winning 3 on the other end, sending the contest into overtime.
Then, it was the Wemby show. The 20-year-old phenom went on a personal 8-0 run to start OT, powering France to a 94-90 win and a 2-0 start to the Olympics.
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Wembanyama finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with 11 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals. He shot 6-for-13 from the field, 3-for-5 from deep and 3-for-3 from the free throw line.
France also got 17 points off the bench from Strazel, while Evan Fournier tallied 14 points and six assists. Rudy Gobert had seven points, 15 rebounds and two blocks.
Kawamura scored a game-high 29 points, adding seven rebounds and six assists. Rui Hachimura scored 24 points for Japan, which dropped to 0-2.
The 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year is looking to help France capture its first-ever gold in basketball. France took silver after losing to the United States in the gold medal game of the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Games.
France will close out group play against Germany on Friday. Germany has also qualified for the knockout round after a 2-0 start in Paris.
