By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
After putting up 24 points over three games in EuroBasket 2025, Guerschon Yabusele erupted for 36 points, a new career-high, in a key win for France.
“We had a conversation with the coach, with the players too, to try to get me involved in the game a little bit more,” he mentioned in the postgame press conference following the game against host Poland in Katowice’s Spodek Arena on Tuesday, “I know it is important for me to be aggressive the whole time, for the team and for myself. I was trying to find the rhythm and give the energy to the guys.”
The 29-year-old big of the New York Knicks in the NBA was among the necessary adjustments for the team coached by Frederic Fauthoux, following the decision to rule out Alex Sarr for the remainder of the tournament.
“We stayed together. We played together. And team captain Guerschon Yabusele played a pretty good game,” said the 52-year-old tactician, “It was a good victory.”
“It was really important for us to come in here and show another attitude,” Yabusele took over the recap, “We played with a lot of energy. We stayed focused the whole game. My teammate did a great job of finding me, and I was the guy who was scoring today, but the most important thing was the victory.”
Les Bleus snapping the undefeated streak of Poland shaped a three-way tie on top of Group D at 3-1, stretching from the two opponents to Israel.
“This game showed the true picture of warriors in my team. They came out and gave everything,” noted losing head coach Igor Milicic, “Until the last minute, we were in the game. We can’t ask for more, just a little bit of luck.”
In Gameday 5, to complete pool play on Thursday, France is against eliminated Iceland and the hosts face Belgium. Fellow qualified teams, Israel and Slovenia, facing each other is projected as a decider in terms of the final standings.
Photo Credit: FIBA