Domination Inside and Out: Batum & Valančiūnas Contribute to France’s Comeback Victory Over Brazil

On July 28th, in the first match of the Paris Olympics Group B, the host nation France pulled off a thrilling 78-66 victory over a strong Brazilian team. The duo of Valančiūnas and Valančiūnas (note: it seems there might be a typo here, assuming it was meant to be Valančiūnas twice) each contributed with 19 points, proving instrumental in their team’s win.

The opening quarter saw France struggling, trailing by 8 points at the end. The team faced difficulties as their first six three-point attempts all failed, and Rudy Gobert had to deal with early foul trouble. However, in the second quarter, France managed to turn the tide with a 24-13 score, thanks largely to Valančiūnas’ aggressive play, which included 14 points and 5 rebounds in the half.

As the game progressed into the second half, France’s offensive performance improved. Notably, veteran captain Batum made a significant impact, hitting two crucial threes in the final minute of the fourth quarter, ensuring the win for his team.

Valančiūnas led the scoring with an impressive 13 shots from the field, converting 7 of them for a total of 19 points, along with 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks. He also nailed one of his four three-point attempts and made 4 out of 7 free throws, resulting in a positive player efficiency rating of +13.

Batum, on the other hand, contributed with a solid 19 points from 12 shots, complemented by 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 3 successful three-point shots out of 8 attempts. He made all 4 of his free throw attempts.