VICTOR Wembanyama injected life into France before Nicolas Batum hit some clutch baskets as the hosts salvaged a slow start to beat Brazil 78-66 in Group B of the 2024 Paris Olympics Men’s Basketball tournament at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium.
In need of inspiration after a listless start, France turned to its 20-year-old wunderkind for a lift and he responded like a true superstar.
Wembanyama scored 11 points in the big second quarter which turned the tide for the hosts after Brazil came out of the gates hot in the first quarter, and led 23-15 after the first 10 minutes.
The generational 7'4 talent pulled off all the tricks from his bag from fadeaway jumpers, three pointers, and even a lay-up from an angle behind the backboard, off a spin move in the post as they entered the half with a three-point lead and all the momentum in the world entering the third quarter.
With Batum and another NBA veteran in Frank Ntilikina joining the fray, France started to break away in the third quarter and led by as many as 12 early in the fourth.
But Brazil had one more fight in them to make things interesting in the City of Lights.
Vitor Benito and Marcelinho Huertas started to come alive as the OQT Riga winners trimmed the French lead to four, 62-58 with 5:41 remaining in the fourth.
But Batum scored eight points from that point forward, including a backbreaking three with 26 seconds left which all but took out the fight from the South Americans.
Wembanyama finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocks while Batum had the same number of points to go along five boards and two steals as they joined World Champions Germany atop Group B.
Cristian Felicio and Leo Meindl had 14 points apiece for Brazil who joined Japan in the bottom of the group.
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