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“We got our ass kicked!”
Those were Evan Fournier’s strong reaction to open the post-game press conference after his 21-point scoring effort was swept under the rug of a Canada 95-65 statement win over France at the start of the 2023 FIBA World Cup on Friday in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In what was supposed to be his redemption tour after getting buried on the New York Knicks bench in the last NBA season, the World Cup opener gave him more reasons to be disgruntled.
Fournier did his best, outplaying his Knicks teammate RJ Barrett. But the French guard was stifled in the second half after exploding for 19 points in the first two quarters.
Fourier’s first basket — a 3-pointer — punctuated a France 7-0 start in the game. But despite leading after one quarter, 18-14, it was only a matter of time before the better team took over.
“The second quarter was the start of our downfall,” Fournier said.
His last basket in the first half with 18 seconds left allowed France to keep the game close, 43-40, at halftime. Then, the floodgates opened starting in the third quarter.
Oklahoma City Thunder’s All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ignited a 7-0 Canada opening run in the second half for their first double-digit lead, 50-40.
“They were really physical with us, taking us out of our set plays,” Fournier said. “As a team, they forced us to do things we don’t want to do.”
Fournier missed his four attempts in that pivotal third quarter, all from deep, as Canada started to pull away with a 20-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
Fournier shot 8-of-19 shooting. However, he was only 3-of-13 from the 3-point distance.
Barrett was worse with only five points on a horrendous 1-of-10 shooting from the floor, but it did not matter as his Canada teammates picked up the slack.
Gilgeous-Alexander had a sensational World Cup debut, scattering 27 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and two steals.
Canada’s other NBA players did their share as well.
Kelly Olynyk added 18 points, while Dillon Brooks and Nickeil Walker-Alexander chipped in 12 points each in a balanced Canada attack.
Fournier also finished with three rebounds, one assist and two steals in 36 minutes, but he was a game-worst minus-28, tied with French veteran Nando de Colo.
Fournier’s only basket in the second half came early in the fourth quarter, a layup that cut Canada’s lead to 16, 68-52. That was the closest France could get as Canada answered with a back-breaking 17-0 run.
France is in a must-win situation in their next game against Latvia on Sunday. How can Fournier and France, the silver medalist in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, bounce back?
“You win,” Fournie said. “You play better. You recharge. You re-focus. Don’t lose your confidence.”
“We lost by 30 but are a great team. We’ve had success. We know what to do, and we’re gonna bounce back from this game.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Opens Door for Knicks Trade
Giannis Antetokounmpo recently told the New York Times that he’s unsure of signing an extension with the Milwaukee Bucks beyond next season.
“The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise, it doesn’t make sense,” Antetokounmpo said in the New York Times story. “But next year, next summer, it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know.”
Antetokounmpo will be eligible to sign a three-year extension worth about $173 million later this offseason. But he’ll only sign if he and the Bucks are on the same page.
It’s no secret the Knicks have been saving up their draft capital for an A-list star such as Joel Embiid or Antetokounmpo.
In May, ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst reported that the Knicks are monitoring Antetokounmpo’s situation. They even tried to sign Antetokounmpo’s brother, Thanasis, who ultimately decided to return to Milwaukee for one more season.
Kawhi Leonard Mastered Carmelo Anthony’s Moves
Former Knicks trainer Chris Brickley shared an epic Kawhi Leonard-Carmelo Anthony story on the August 16 episode of The Hoop Chat with Emily Austin.
“I worked with Kawhi. This was like before he was an All-Star,” Brickley revealed. “He came up to me and said, I want to learn Melo’s moves.”
The rest is history.
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