« He was incredible »: Sylvain Francisco on fire against Slovenia
EuroBasket - Sylvain Francisco had a stratospheric performance leading France to victory against Slovenia (103-95) this Saturday, August 30. The point guard scored 32 points and finished with a 40 evaluation rating.
Photo Credit : Julie Dumélié
Sylvain Francisco (1.85m, 27 years old) led France to a precious victory against Slovenia (103-95) Saturday at EuroBasket. With 32 points, the Zalgiris Kaunas point guard made history by becoming the ninth French player to reach the 30-point mark in the competition.
32
PTS
7
REB
5
AST
A record-breaking performance that carries France
Saturday evening in Katowice, Team France found its providential man: Sylvain Francisco. Starting from the bench, the point guard had an exceptional game, finishing with 32 points. A major performance that puts him in the same category as Tony Parker, Antoine Rigaudeau and Nando De Colo, becoming the ninth French player to break the mythical 30-point barrier in EuroBasket.
The player remained measured after the game: « Honestly, it was an incredible game, 32 points. But what’s most important isn’t about me. The whole team did well. It’s incredible… The most important thing is that we won. And this game, I’ve already forgotten it. Now I’m focused on tomorrow’s game (Sunday). »
A reference victory for Team France
Beyond his individual achievement, Francisco helped France defeat Slovenia led by Luka Doncic (39 points). The point guard emphasized the collective importance of this victory: « Of course, it’s a reference game. But after that, it’s only 2-0. The most important thing is to stay focused and move forward. I feel like with this team, we’re growing more and more. »
Praise from teammates and staff
His coach Frédéric Fauthoux praised his decisive role: « What Sylvain did wonderfully today was take advantage of how the Slovenians were defending. But I think collectively, the others were very good too. »
His teammates were also admiring. Bilal Coulibaly praised « a very good job » from his point guard, while Alexandre Sarr highlighted his « good reads and ability to find guys on cuts. » Zaccharie Risacher rejoiced: « He really helped us in tough moments. It’s great to be able to play with him. » An opinion shared by Jaylen Hoard: « He was incredible. He brought a lot of energy, creativity. I’m really happy for him. »
Point guard hierarchy not questioned
While Théo Maledon is having more difficulties at the start of the tournament, Fauthoux deflected questions about changing the hierarchy at point guard: « Our strength with this group is finding the player who will perform. Our starting five doesn’t mean much. We focus on the five who finish games. »
This highlights the depth and versatility of this young French team, now 2-0 in this first round.
In Katowice,
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
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