DONGGUAN, China — The U.S. has been ousted from medal competition by France on the World Cup, failing to seize gold at a serious worldwide event for the primary time because the 2006 world championships.
Evan Fournier scored 22 factors, Rudy Gobert added 21 factors and 16 rebounds and France beat the U.S. 89-79 within the World Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, rallying from a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit to drag off the upset.
The U.S. had gained 58 consecutive event video games in FIBA and Olympic competitors, beginning with the bronze-medal sport on the 2006 world championships and persevering with by means of each FIBA Americas, World Cup and Olympics occasion since. It was bidding to turn into the primary nation to win three consecutive World Cups, after successful three straight Olympic golds in that span.
But the very best the Americans can do now in China is end fifth. They’re going dwelling with a berth within the 2020 Olympics secured, however no medal.
”We got here right here to win gold,” Gobert stated. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. A lot of people counted us out, but we got the win.”
Gobert stated beating the Americans wasn’t the purpose — successful gold is.
”It doesn’t imply something for those who don’t win in the long run,” Gobert stated.
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 factors for the U.S., all of them coming within the first three quarters. The Americans got here up scoreless on six consecutive possessions down the stretch, the drought that allowed the French to take management of a back-and-forth sport for the ultimate time.
Nando De Colo scored 18 for France.
France was up 10 early within the second half. The U.S. went on a 31-14 run over the subsequent 10 minutes to go up by seven. And then the French responded with a 15-2 run over the subsequent 5 minutes, going up 82-76 on an extended jumper by Frank Ntilikina with 2:05 left.
Mitchell had an opportunity to get the U.S. inside two with a few minute left, driving in opposition to Gobert — however the Jazz middle learn what the Jazz guard was going to do completely, swatting the strive away.
France had been 0-9 in opposition to the U.S. in main worldwide play, most of these outcomes one-sided affairs. But the final assembly between the nations was solely a 100-97 U.S. win on the Rio de Janeiro Olympics three years in the past, and France returned three gamers — Gobert, De Colo and Nicolas Batum — who bought minutes in that sport.
None of the U.S. gamers who performed that afternoon in Rio are on this 12 months’s World Cup group.
France outrebounded the U.S. 21-12 within the first half, Gobert discovered his approach to the road 10 instances within the sport’s first 20 minutes and the Americans went into the break trailing 45-39. The U.S. had trailed for 8:25 of their first 5 video games mixed — and trailed for 11:24 within the first half alone on Wednesday.
Fournier’s layup with 7:33 left within the third gave France a 53-43 lead, and that’s when Mitchell bought going.
He had 14 factors within the third quarter alone, and his dunk with 2:40 left pulled the U.S. right into a 60-60 tie. Marcus Smart made three free throws after getting fouled by Gobert to place the U.S. again on high, and the Americans took a 66-63 lead into the fourth.
But they couldn’t end it off.