By Aris Barkas / barkas@eurohoops.net
PARIS, France –Canada superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tried to explain what went wrong for his team in the Olympic Games quarterfinal loss to France.
“They played with more energy, more force, and were more aggressive on both ends of the floor,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. The Oklahoma City Thunder player also didn’t like at all how Canada entered the game.
“I have no clue,” Shai said when asked why his team began the game so badly. “It was just the start. I think we won the game after the start.” Canada trailed 21 – 8 near the end of the first period and had to play catch-up for the entire game.
France built even a 19-point lead early in the second half. Canada came back to cut the margin to 65 – 60 with five minutes to play but that was the closest to Les Bleus they could get.
Gilgeous-Alexander admitted that he and his teammates were quite disappointed since they didn’t expect to finish the tournament so early. Canada came into the Olympics after winning the bronze medal in the 2023 World Cup.
“Nobody does [thought that they’d go home at this stage],” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But if you don’t earn it, sometimes it happens. You lose.”
Asked if he feels that his team earned it, Gilgeous-Alexander was quite frank. “No, we didn’t. Not with the way we started.”