The little guys almost won.
In a men's basketball match between France and Japan, where the physical differences were stark, the Japanese team, including Victor Wembanyama (7 feet 4 inches) and Rudy Gobert (7 feet 1 inch), was nearly defeated by 5-foot-8 point guard Yuki Kawamura.
France won the game 94-90 in overtime, but the victory was far from easy. Kawamura, a 23-year-old Japanese player who recently signed with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, led his underdog team to victory with 29 points (including six three-pointers), seven rebounds and six assists. Even more amazingly, Japan nearly pulled off this shocking victory despite their best player, Rui Hachimura, being ejected for disqualification with 8:31 left in the fourth quarter. The Lakers forward, who scored 24 points, received two technical fouls and was ejected under FIBA rules as a result. Kawamura took over in the closing stages instead.
With 1 minute and 6 seconds left, he made an inside layup pass to big man Josh Hawkinson that trickled off Wenbanyama's outstretched fingers to give Japan a three-point lead. He made two free throws with 47 seconds left and two more with 16 seconds left to hold off France.
But with 10.2 seconds left and France trailing by four, France point guard Matthew Strazelle tried to make a three-pointer from the left wing and was fouled, sending the game into overtime. Kawamura was the one who got fouled, so to speak. That's when Wembanyama finally got some life back.
The 20-year-old French phenom scored eight points early in the first quarter, hitting two 3-pointers and a jump shot to put France up 12-10, then was quiet for long stretches, but in overtime he scored eight of his 18 points and added a block, a steal and a rebound. Ouenbayama totaled 11 rebounds and six assists.
Japan, which also features 5-foot-6 point guard Yuki Togashi, is considered one of the weaker Olympic teams. Japan lost its opening pool game to Germany, 97-77, and will play Brazil on Friday. France, which beat Brazil in its opening game to improve to 2-0 in pool play, will face reigning FIBA World Cup champion Germany on Friday.
