France beat Australia to win FIBA World Cup bronze
Offensive execution by France and a defensive breakdown by Australia saw the French leave China with a bronze medal
Monday 16 September 2019 11:23, UK
It was always going to be a defensive battle between the strong and organised French side and the feisty Australians, and the opening quarter, which saw the teams combine for just 27 points, was indicative of that.
But it was offensive execution by France and a defensive breakdown by the Boomers in the third quarter that ultimately saw the French earn a bronze medal, and the former gold-medal hopes of Australia come crashing out of the FIBA World Cup with nothing.
Missed opportunities
Australian captain Andrew Bogut loudly complained about the officiating as he stormed through the media availability tunnel after the double overtime semi-final loss against Spain, but it is fair to say that his team missed opportunities to close out the Spaniards in regulation and at the end of the first overtime. Free throws from Patty Mills that rimmed out, mental mistakes on defence, they contributed to Spain winning, as well as some toughness from the Spaniards to advance to the gold-medal match-up against Argentina.
The same could be said about Australia during the third quarter of the bronze-medal game. What looked like a comfortable lead built on stingy defensive pressure in the first half, just was out of sorts during the third quarter and the tables were turned rapidly.
Australia never got its offence clicking throughout the whole game, and managed no better than 16 points in any quarter. However, France scored 21 in the third on the way to scoring 46 in the second half to complete the turnaround.
Stepping up
One reason the Boomers' offence struggled so much was due to the defensive pressure that Andrew Albicy put on Australia's leading scorer for the tournament, Patty Mills.
The guard played in all 12 of France's qualifying games when NBA talent like Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum and Rudy Gobert weren't available. He almost didn't make the squad and probably only received an invite because of his commitment to the team. But all the international experience has helped Albicy at the FIBA World Cup, and he has shown himself to be one of the quicker and more frustrating perimeter defenders to play against, especially in the knock-out game against the USA.
Anything Albicy provided on offence in China was only ever going to be a bonus, but in the second half, he scored 9 points on three of four attempts from beyond the three-point line.
Despite Albicy's timely heroics, the real test for France at this tournament has been getting someone to step up after multiple retired players have not been with the team during this FIBA window.
The country may have found their new leaders in Fournier and Nando de Colo.
Sure, Gobert gives this French side its defensive intensity, but from a scoring perspective, the wings offer a good scoring combination, and it means head coach Vincent Collet could keep at least one scoring threat on the floor at all times.
They had a tough outing, and only managed four baskets between them in the first half, but doubled that output in the third and fourth quarters.
The next step
France have now won bronze medals in back-to-back World Cups. The current core is young enough that it could be together for another FIBA window, culminating in the 2023 tournament in Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
Team USA coach Gregg Popovich called this side one of the most talented France has ever produced, and now that leadership in de Colo and Fournier has grown, the team stands a chance at another gold medal - maybe at the next World Cup, or perhaps even sooner at next year's Olympics.
Meanwhile, Australia might be kicking themselves for letting this one slip through the net, especially with the likes of Bogut entering the tail end of his career. However, the programme has grown more than any other on the international stage in the last 10 years and has a group of younger talent coming through the ranks with the likes of Jonah Bolden and Ben Simmons, who weren't even present in China. The next step will be on to the podium, but to do so, they will have to learn how to not breakdown in the closing stages of a game.
