PARIS – Canada’s long-awaited Olympic basketball dream ended with a whimper, not a bang.
The much-anticipated quarter final date in Canada’s return to the Olympics was over barely after it started as France cruised to a one-sided 82-73 win.
The French never trailed as they opened up their first double-digit lead just under five minutes in, and led 23-10 after the first quarter. The Canadian team that had yet to lose a game here came up decidedly flat and ultimately futile. Worse, actually.
“Allez Les Bleus” they chanted at the Metro stations, on the streets outside Bercy Arena, and loudly inside.
The translation for the wild support of the host men’s basketball team may as well have been “No Canada.”
They gave the ball away. They watched the French hit open three after open three and by midway and never made a serious run towards a competitive game.
They did pull to within five points with 4:09 remaining in the fourth, but when French star Victor Wembanyama nailed a clutch three for his biggest points of the game, it felt like that was it.
And now, 24 years after their previous Olympic experience back in Australia, the Canadian men are going home without a shot at a medal.
It was quite a come down for the Canadians, who had defeated France at the 2023 World Cup by a blowout 30 points. They entered Tuesday’s match as the on-paper favourite over the French, but never had any momentum to follow up on that status.
On offence, the Canadians were inept for long stretches — a team that had averaged 89 points in the preliminary matches held to just 73.
It was certainly a popular win for the home crowd at a rocking Bercy Arena: The flag waving, drum-beating fans from France have been in a frenzy throughout these Olympics whenever their athletes are in medal contention.
The place erupted at the final buzzer after a win that set up a semi-final date with Germany. The Canadians, with the long journey to get back to the Olympic stage screeching to a halt, are headed home.