Posted on 08/31/2006 8:54:39 AM PDT by PetroniDE
France 75, Germany 73 Mickael Gelabale's layup with 1.8 seconds left gave France a 75-73 victory over Germany.
Germany's final possession ended when Dirk Nowitzki took an inbounds pass on the left sideline. As he turned to get off a possible game-winning shot, he stepped on the line with .9 seconds to go.
Joseph Gomis, the French point guard who replaced the injured Tony Parker, hit a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to tie the game at 73. Gomis, who came into the game averaging 3.8 points, finished with 17 and was 3-for-3 on 3s.
Germany (5-3) turned the ball over on the inbounds play after Gomis' shot. The Germans opted to foul Boris Diaw near midcourt with 11 seconds left, and the strategy seemed to pay off when Diaw, who plays for the Phoenix Suns, missed both free throws.
But Germany again turned the ball over as it was coming up the court. Diaw grabbed the ball and found the 6-foot-7 Gelabale to the side of the basket, and he made a tough layup with the 7-foot Nowitzki all over him.
Gomis started and played 22 minutes Thursday in place of Aymeric Jeanneau, who did a solid job in leading France to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954. Jeanneau played six of the first seven games in the tournament hampered by a right thigh injury, but he didn't play at all against Germany.
Parker broke his finger in the final exhibition game just days before the tournament started.
Ronny Turiaf added 15 points for France, while Diaw had 13 points and eight rebounds.
Nowitzki, who came into the game averaging 23.1 points, finished with 29, 21 in the second half.
Germany won the bronze medal at the 2002 worlds.
Amazing....
A lot of basket ball defense involves moving backwards....
The French team probably had players from the U.S, Britain, Canada, etc. All their equipment, except for the white towels, was provided by the U.S.A. < sarcasm off >
"zut Alors! A national holiday! Vee must burn cars in celebrazion while eating zee wine and drinking zee cheese and snubbing those gauche Americaans!"
"Schi**e! Defeated by those schwein hunds! NExt time vee come back with eine division! Der trees of gay paree will provide shade to der troops of Der Fatherland once again!"
Once again, the French come out on top when the Germans make an error ....
French linguists are baffled ... they are unable to find an equivalent phrase in their native tongue
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