Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard and Team Canada fall to France as Olympic run ends

Canada is done in the Olympics

Aug 2, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Canada point guard Andrew Nembhard (19) shoots against Spain in the first half in a men’s group A basketball game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard and Team Canada played their first game in the knockout stage of the Men's Basketball Tournament at the 2024 Olympics on Tuesday.

They battled the hosts, France, in the quarterfinals. The French made it to this point by going 2-1 in the Group Stage, but they had some wobbly results along the way. As a result, they dramatically changed their starting five for the action.

Canada, meanwhile, kept things the same. They went 3-0 in Group Play, and Nembhard was sensational in the final game. On paper, they had more talent. But France had a home crowd and some continuity on their side.

Early, those dynamics led to dominance from France. Guerschon Yabusele, VIctor Wembanyama, and Isaia Cordinier were playing great basketball to kick off the action as the hosts raced ahead. The French defense was suffocating, and their offense was good enough.

Canada was playing without focus. They were chaotic and rushed, and the score was 17-5 in favor of France after much of the first quarter. The interior game was working for the French, and Canada had few answers.

With just over two minutes to go in the first frame and Canada down by 14, Nembhard checked in for the first time. The Canadians were hoping that he could change their offensive fortunes and get them back in the game.

The remaining portion of the first quarter was fairly even, and it was 23-10 in favor of France at the time. Canada could not generate good looks, and Wembanyama's defense was terrific. The largely-French crowd was heavily invested in the action.

The deficit hovered near 15 for the first few minutes of the second quarter. Mathias Lessort was giving France strong minutes, and Canada could not break into the paint for offense. NBA guard Evan Fournier hit a huge three to keep momentum on France's side at the time.

Nembhard exited the action with 6:45 to go in the second quarter, and his team trailed by 15. He had two turnovers and one foul in his opening stint.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a strong stretch of play in the middle of the second quarter to cut the lead down to 10, but France had answers once again. It was tough to crack France's defense, especially with Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert coming off the bench as a reserve.

Nembhard entered again late in the half, but France closed the last 90 seconds of the second period with another surge. Those two turnovers and one foul were all of Nembhard's stats at halftime, and it was 45-29 in favor of France at the time.

To kick off the second half, Canada did well to find ways to score. Across the first four minutes of the third quarter, they trimmed the deficit from 16 down to 11, and they finally found some consistency. France's offense was struggling, too.

But their offense didn't matter much with how strong their defensive principles were. Canada's frontcourt couldn't get going at all, and three-point shots weren't falling. Even as they chipped into the lead, they weren't able to make it close.

France led 61-50 after three quarters, and Nembhard was quiet during his first second-half stint. His involvement was lower than in previous outings.

That continued into the early portion of the fourth quarter, and Indiana's young guard had two fouls and two turnovers as his only stats when he exited. France was still comfortably ahead, and the crowd continued to get louder as their double-digit lead remained.

It was 65-55 in favor of Wembanyama's team with 6:22 to go. Finally, at that moment, Canada found a groove on the defensive end. They held France scoreless for over two minutes as they went on a 5-0 run, and it was 65-60 with just over four minutes to go. An epic finish was coming.

The French side hit a three just after that run, but then Gilgeous-Alexander answered. Finally, both teams were finding spaces to score — and the intensity was rising. But there wasn't much time left.

Canada cut the lead to five again, but it quickly went back to eight. Both teams were trading baskets in the final minutes, which favored the French side as they already held the lead. They were ahead 73-66 with one minute remaining — and Fournier hit a dagger three soon after.

France held on to win 82-73. It ended Canada's hopes at a medal with their strong squad filled with NBA talent. Wembanyama was terrific on defense from start to finish, and it made the upset possible. France will play Germany next.

Nembhard didn't impact this game much, finishing with just one assist, and his first Olympic journey is over. He will now focus on getting better for next season with Indiana.

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