2024 Olympics: Preview, How to Watch France vs. Canada Men's Quarterfinal

Backs against the wall, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and Les Bleus will take on Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Team Canada for a chance to move on to the semifinal.

Aug 2, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; France power forward Victor Wembanyama (32) dunks against Germany in the first half in a men’s group B basketball game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

All eyes were on Victor Wembanyama entering the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The 7-foot-4 budding superstar — fresh off his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs — was set to play in a much different environment, though perhaps with even more pride than when he donned the Silver & Black every game in Texas.

This time, he was one of the faces of Team France on the world's biggest stage. If he played well, he'd give his country a chance at making history by earning its first gold medal in 5v5 basketball. If not, he might feel even more disappointed than both the Spurs fans and France supporters alike.

READ MORE: Wembanyama Puts Country On His Back, France Beats Japan In OT

Safe to say, there was pressure, though one of his current teammates disagreed.

"There’s no pressure," Polish forward Jeremy Sochan wrote on X, formerly Twitter of Wembanyama and Team France facing elimination against Canada. "Let bro be him, the rest will be history!"

Aug 2, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; France power forward Victor Wembanyama (32) reacts after the loss against Germany in men’s group B basketball game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Wembanyama, paired with Minnesota Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert — the most recent NBA Defensive Player of the Year — and former Metropolitans 92 teammate Bilal Coulibaly, among others, helped France to two straight victories in the preliminary matchups. After that, a tough game against Brooklyn Nets point guard Dennis Schröder and Germany led to Les Bleus' first loss.

Winning Games 1 and 2 earned France a berth in the knock-out stage, however, so the loss ended up being trivial. Now, Wembanyama and company are set to meet Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Team Canada in a win-or-go-home matchup.

That being said, here is everything you need to know as Les Bleus takes on Team Canada:

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General Info, How to Watch

• Date: Tuesday, August 6
• Time: 11 a.m. CT
• Live Stream: NBA Olympics, Peacock
• Betting Odds via SI Sportsbook 
• Spread: Canada -7.5
• TOTAL: 163.5
• Money Line: Canada -345, France +260

France vs. Canada Rosters

Team France

• Victor Wembanyama, F (San Antonio Spurs)
• Rudy Gobert, C (Minnesota Timberwolves)
• Nicolas Batum, F (Los Angeles Clippers)
• Bilal Coulibaly, F (Washington Wizards)
• Evan Fournier, G (Free agent)
• Frank Ntilikina, G (Partizan)
• Andrew Albicy, G (Gran Canaria)
• Isaia Cordinier, G (Virtus Bologna)
• Nando de Colo, G (ASVEL)
• Mathias Lessort, C (Panathinaikos)
• Matthew Strazel, G (Monaco)
• Guerschon Yabusele, F (Real Madrid)

Team Canada

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G (Oklahoma City Thunder)
• Jamal Murray, G (Denver Nuggets)
• Luguentz Dort, F (Oklahoma City Thunder)
• Andrew Nembhard, G (Indiana Pacers)
• Dillon Brooks, F (Houston Rockets)
• RJ Barrett, G (Toronto Raptors)
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker, G (Minnesota Timberwolves)
• Khem Birch, C (Girona, formerly San Antonio Spurs)
• Melvin Ejim, F (Unicaja)
• Dwight Powell, F (Dallas Mavericks)
• Trey Lyles, F (Sacramento Kings)
• Kelly Olynyk, C (Toronto Raptors)

Biggest Storyline(s) to Watch

France has won six of the last eight games against Canada, so while the numbers might show a favorite, both squads look vastly different this summer than they have in the past.

All Olympics, the duo between Gobert and Wembanyama has been able to shine on the defensive end, giving NBA fans a taste of what could be between two elite defenders, but despite that and the offensive prowess that Wembanyama possesses, Les Bleus hasn't looked dominant.

On the other hand, after an incredibly strong run during last year's FIBA World Cup, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander transcended into MVP conversations in the NBA and has now returned to help lead Canada to a gold medal. Joined by several other NBA talents, the point guard has so far showed everything he's needed to.

Jul 27, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; France power forward Victor Wembanyama (32) controls the ball against Brazil centre Cristiano Felicio (6) during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

As both teams prepare to face each other, there will be several factors at play. The biggest among them is how Gilgeous-Alexander's offense will matchup against the defensive of France's big men duo. Whichever force prevails could make all the difference in the game.

And as far as Wembanyama is concerned, there are fixes to be made heading into the early afternoon matchup. He and his team might be coming off of a loss, but they're not focusing on that.

“We got to trust our coaching more," Wembanyama said. "Trust our teammates more, do things that aren’t on the stat sheet."

Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. Central, 6 p.m. Local.