Under the eyes of actor Omar Sy and Kylian Mbappé, Wembanyama succeeded in the assigned mission before watching the NBA draft lottery that, in the night, will designate his very likely future franchise in the North American championship.

The Mets 92 are assured of home-court advantage until the semifinals after resisting Asvel, whose victory in Bourg-en-Bresse was useless (85-82).

Wembanyama made his contribution, despite a game in chiaroscuro, where he was handicapped by three fouls midway through the second quarter, which forced his coach Vincent Collet to take him out.

The prodigy of French basketball (19 years old, 2.21 m) returned to the floor at the end of the third quarter, when the Mets led by only two units (65-63), to score 14 points (out of a total of 22), make a block and grab three essential rebounds.

As a symbol, it was he who concluded the scoring with a dunk after which he displayed a big smile.

Wembanyama was a little bit elsewhere, certainly on the lottery side," said Collet, "impressed that he reacted" in the second half.

Mbappe told beIN Sports "looking forward to seeing him in the NBA" and would find it "not bad" to see him land at the Spurs like Tony Parker "even if he has to write his own story".

PSG star Kylian Mbappé attends the Boulogne-Levallois - Paris Basket match in Levallois, May 16, 2023 © FRANCK FIFE / AFP

Gravelines collapses

The Mets, who will face Cholet (7th) in the quarterfinals from Sunday, made Strasbourg happy: the Alsatians, authors of a catastrophic start to the season and who changed coach (Luca Banchi replaced Lassi Tuovi), needed to qualify to win while counting on a setback from Paris and Gravelines-Dunkirk.

The three conditions were met since the BCM got its feet in the mat at home against Nancy, who had nothing left to play (88-93 a.p.).

SIG, which finishes with one more victory than Paris and Gravelines-Dunkirk, will face Monaco in the quarterfinals which, assured for weeks of finishing first, sent to Blois (76-102) a team composed of only two professionals three days before the Euroleague Final Four in Kaunas.

Monaco would face Dijon or Bourg-en-Bresse in the semi-finals, while the winner of Mets-Cholet will face Asvel or Le Mans.

For the Villeurbannais, who would not have the advantage of the field in case of reunion with Boulogne-Levallois, the withdrawal of a victory inflicted on appeal by the Federation, which they recorded Tuesday after the conciliation of the CNOSF, weighs heavily in the final balance sheet.

Tied with the Mets 92, they would have beaten them with the particular difference and therefore received in a possible support game in the semis.

"There is a huge favourite, what Monaco showed (to go to) the Final Four shows that they are the best team we have had in France, for maybe 20 years. But sometimes it's not the best team that wins," Collet said of the play-offs.

Quarter-final posters (best-of-three matches)

From Sunday (times to be determined, match 2 on May 23, possible support on the 25th on the field of the best ranked)

Boulogne-Levallois (2) - Cholet (7)

Asvel (3) - Le Mans (6)

Dijon (4) - Bourg-en-Bresse (5)

From 24 May

Monaco (1) - Strasbourg (8)

Semi-finals from 28 May to 7 June at the latest (best of five matches)

Final from 11 to 20 June at the latest (best of five matches)

© 2023 AFP