LILLE (France) - Will the real Evan Fournier please stand up?
France's guard finally did just that, and it was needed as the 2024 Olympic hosts needed a strong performance to fight off pesky Japan.
Fournier made a strong improvement from his disappointing first game of the Olympics and collected 14 points, three rebounds, six assists and one steal in a 94-90 overtime victory over the Asians to pull to 2-0 in Group B.
Most of his production came in the first half until he buried a stepback three-pointer with 47 seconds left in regulation to tie the game 80-80 as France were absolutely reeling offensively.
Fournier struggled from the field, making just 5-of-18 shots, including 2-of-9 three-point attempts, but in the end, he provided the additional aggressiveness that was missing for some time.
The performance followed Fournier picking up seven points on five field goal attempts and two made free throws and no other stats besides two turnovers in 13 minutes against Brazil in the previous game.
The 31-year-old Fournier actually came into the Olympics having struggled in the team's buildup to the Games. He averaged 5.2 points per game while shooting just 24 percent from the field.
"I'm not going to tell you that I'm happy. I was clumsy. But I have enough experience to put things into perspective while having the clarity to know what I need to do to move forward," Fournier told L'Equipe ahead of the Olympics.
France's head coach Vincent Collet admitted the play of the shooting guard was a concern before the Games.
"Are we worried about how Evan is playing? Inevitably, it impacts us," Collet said in L'Equipe. "But I know his determination. We talked two days ago. Putting him in the starting five was a sign of confidence, to tell him that we need him. We will continue on Sunday, hoping for a breakthrough. I found him to be good in the first half, in terms of commitment and tempo."
Fournier has been part of the senior national team now for a decade, debuting for Les Bleus at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014. Since FIBA EuroBasket 2017, in five major tournaments, Fournier has not averaged fewer than 13.8 points per contest.
At the end of this thrilling game, at the center of the court, Vincent Collet came and talked for a while in the ear of his player, holding him by the waist. Before parting ways, he tapped his back—a gesture saying something like 'welcome back'.
France need Fournier in top form to go far in this tournament. This game showed that he is at least getting close to being back.
FIBA