For its first classification match against Iran, the French team provided the essentials by winning quite clearly (82-55) with a great collective effort, embodied by the trident Elie Okobo (13 points), Guerschon Yabusele (11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) and a found Nando De Colo (12 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists).
Nine points in ten minutes…
Despite new blood and Isaia Cordinier in the five major instead of Nicolas Batum, the Blues remain on their very small dynamic of the first phase. If it starts well with an 8-2 thanks to fast play and defense, including two counters from Rudy Gobert who also put two baskets near the circle, the Blues still stall offensively.
Iran finished the first quarter with a 10-1, yet another proof of a tricolor attack still as laborious with very few successful collective actions and too many one-on-one desperadoes. With only 9 points scored, 3/13 on shots, plus 4 stray bullets, the Blues are struggling… and trailing after ten minutes (12-9).
Elie Okobo does it again
Classification match obliges, Vincent Collet opens widely, and early, his bench. Sylvain Francisco brings the beginning of a spark. He hits the mark from afar and serves Moustapha Fall inside. The two Blues combine well, France finds the address with Elie Okobo, and it’s a 15-5 to start the quarter!
Behind 13 points from the substitute leader, stung during the match against Lebanon, including 12 in the second quarter, the Blues made an interesting first gap (24-17). They find some colors and a level of play more in line with their standards, but still leave largesse to their opponent, including Meisam Mirzaei, the chubby Iranian interior who scored 9 points in 11 minutes.
The French team nevertheless returns to the locker room with a nest egg of 8 units (35-27).
The gap is made
The French leave with their rear-wheel drive Francisco – Okobo, which worked well in the first half. And it starts strong on a 7-0 as soon as the return to action. Francisco even serves Yabusele for the alley oop on the fast game and then comes to steal a ball in the hands of Mohammadsina Vahedi to cause the fault.
The gap swells again to +17 with an omnipresent Yabusele, which arises there on the offensive rebound. The offensive rebound precisely! Always a problem. It allows Iran to limit damage. The Blues have taken off and confirm their hold on an opportunistic tap, no more fault, from Ouattara. With a 19-9 in the third quarter, the Blues are in control (54-36).
All the Blues have scored
In great difficulty during the first phase, Nando De Colo delivers a small jewel of pass for the dunk of Fall, then another later for the dunk of Cordinier. The veteran rear finds sensations and finishes with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
France completes its match alone with the gap which reaches thirty. Opposite, Iran still has a capital match to hope for a ticket for the pre-Olympic tournament against Lebanon, and therefore logically lets the match escape them by avoiding injuries (knowing that Arsalan Kazemi has sprained himself under the Yabusele’s weight earlier in the match).
The Blues finally won by 27 points (82-55), with the entire squad scoring points. A new step in the right direction, before a final meeting against Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday morning.
Stats and video summary to come
