« The most important thing is that we won »: Sylvain Francisco on fire against Slovenia
Sylvain Francisco (1.85m, 27 years old) led Team France to a precious victory against Slovenia (103-95) Saturday at EuroBasket. Scoring 32 points, the Zalgiris Kaunas point guard made history by becoming the ninth French player to reach the 30-point mark in the competition.
A record-breaking performance that carries the French team
Saturday night in Katowice, Team France found its key player: Sylvain Francisco. Starting from the bench, the point guard had an exceptional game, finishing with 32 points. A remarkable performance that puts him in the company of Tony Parker, Antoine Rigaudeau, and Nando De Colo, becoming the ninth French player to break the mythical 30-point barrier in EuroBasket.
The player himself remained modest 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 about it. Now I’m focused on tomorrow’s game (Sunday). »
A signature win for Team France
Beyond his individual achievement, Francisco helped the French team defeat Slovenia led by Luka Doncic (39 points). The point guard emphasized the collective importance of this victory: « Of course, it’s a signature win. But we’re only at 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 played very well too. »
His teammates were also impressed. Bilal Coulibaly praised « great work » 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. »
Point guard hierarchy remains unchanged
While Théo Maledon is experiencing 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,
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