France Escaped With An OT Win Over Japan After A Questionable Call Let Them Tie The Game On A 4-Point Play

We nearly got our first huge upset of the 2024 Paris Olympics in the men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday afternoon, as Japan had host nation France on the ropes in the final minute.

Despite star Rui Hachimura getting ejected for his second unsportsmanlike foul of the night on Rudy Gobert with over 8 minutes to play in the game, Japan was able to chip away at France’s fourth quarter lead and move in front thanks to an incredible effort from 5’4 guard Yuki Kawamura. Kawamura finished the game with 29 points to lead all scorers — Hachimura had 24 before getting tossed — and did an incredible job of leading Japan to a 4-point lead with 16 seconds to play.

It seemed, at that point, all Japan would need to do is play smart defense and hit some free throws, and they’d pull off a massive upset. Unfortunately, Kawamura got called for a (very questionable) foul on a three by Matthew Strazel with 10 seconds to play that allowed France to tie the game in one possession.

Replays (and the picture above) showed little to no contact by Kawamura, who appeared to be straight up and down while Strazel kicked his legs out, but by being up that tight on a shooter, he ran the risk of getting called for a foul in a spot where they just couldn’t afford one. After a three to win went begging, Japan and France went to overtime where it became a Victor Wembanyama takeover, as he scored eight of his 18 points in the extra frame to make sure France stayed undefeated in group play.

It was not France’s best night, particularly on offense as they sputtered for much of the second half on that end, as guard play continues to be a concern for the host country. However, they managed to get a win — perhaps with some home cooking — and remain on track to win the group.