Rudy Gobert helps France pummel Poland in EuroBasket semifinal
Poland's unlikely run to the EuroBasket Final Four ended in Berlin on Friday, as Rudy Gobert's French squad waxed them, 95-54. Gobert, known as the "The Stifle Tower," and the rest of France's defense held the Poles to single-digit points in each of the first two quarters. Gobert, who played only 19 minutes, had three emphatic blocks.
Gobert's backup, Moustapha Fall, also had three blocks off the bench. France had eight steals against Poland, which didn't score their 10th point until the 6:36 mark of the second quarter. (EuroBasket games are 40 minutes).
Poland went nearly six minutes without scoring between the first and second quarters, and by halftime, the score was 34-18.
Guerschon Yabusele led the way with 22 points for France, who shot 62 percent from the field and made 15 of their 26 three-point attempts. France also had 32 assists, a huge total for a 40-minute game, and 11 of the 12 French players had at least one dime. Yabusele was too busy scoring to pass the ball. He's now shooting 50 percent from deep in the tournament.
France will play in its fourth EuroBasket final on Sunday against the winner of Friday's Germany-Spain semifinal.
This is the greatest era for French basketball, despite the retirement of France's greatest player, Tony Parker, in 2016. If Gobert--who was traded by Utah to Minnesota in the offseason--continues his defensive dominance, he may challenge Parker for that designation someday.
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