Team USA, the runaway favourites to win the Fiba World Cup for the third time in succession, have been bundled out of the tournament in the quarter-finals by France.
Although the US were far from full-strength – with the NBA’s biggest American stars opting out of the tournament – they still fielded a team that included talented players such as Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell and three-time All-Star Kemba Walker. The team was also coached by Gregg Popovich, a five-time NBA champion. The result ended a 58-game win for the US at the Olympics and World Cups.
France pulled off their 89-79 victory after overhauling a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Their own NBA stars helped fuel the victory: Evan Fournier scored 22 points, while Rudy Gobert added 21 points and 16 rebounds. France had never beaten the US in nine previous meetings in major international competition. Read more