Emotional lift for the Blues. After brilliantly eliminating Team USA (89-79) on Wednesday, France's basketball team fell to Argentina (66-80) on Friday (September 13th) in Beijing, China.

The Blues were overtaken by the aggressiveness of Albiceleste and his indefatigable spearhead, Luis Scola (28 points). Third in the 2014 edition, the French will play for the second time the "small final" Sunday against Australia, eliminated earlier by Spain after two extra time (95-88).

Under the eyes of former NBA glories, Kobe Bryant, Chris Bosh and Argentine icon Manu Ginobili, Vincent Collet's men have never found good fuel. Quickly dominated, after a series of ten consecutive points of the Argentines (2-10), they spent their time chasing after the score.

Their lack of long-range address (7/31) weighed in the balance but it is also their lack of aggressiveness, especially rebounds - 36 against 41 for the Argentines - which prevented them from reversing the during the match. Rudy Gobert, amazing against the United States, was below his usual standards (3 points but 11 rebounds) and the gunner Evan Fournier, too clumsy behind the bow (1/6 for 16 points in total).

Only the young leader of the Knicks, Frank Ntilikina (21 years), with the determining contribution vis-a-vis the United States, seemed to draw his pin of the game (16 points).

A "small final" against Australia

At half-time, Scola, who is definitely not his age (39), had already made a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Argentina had widened the gap (32-39).

This one was going to climb again after the locker room, to culminate at 15 points on a long distance basket of Gabriel Deck (40-55).

France awoke a little in the last act to try to recover a handicap of 12 points (48-60). Amath Mbaye scored his first points, an arrow behind the bow (51-60) but lost balloons and a lack of sharpness in the last gestures lead the French.

Scola, who turns 40 in April, was responsible for inflicting the coup de grace. The former NBA interior scored two baskets to three points (59-74) under the cheers of Albiceleste fans delighted to see their team for the third time in the final (gold in 1950, silver in 2002).

Defeated five years ago at this stage by Serbia, the French will have to pull themselves together to win a second bronze medal, against Australia who narrowly dominated them in the group stage (100-98).

With AFP