One former Dallas Mavericks player advanced to the gold medal game before losing to Stephen Curry and Team USA, but the other Mavericks players were all eliminated in the quarterfinals.
When France tried to win the gold at home, Frank Ntilikina, a Mavs player from 2021–2023, was a starter. Despite playing just seven minutes and recording just one assist and one rebound, he was unable to score any points in his 0/3 performance. Despite their reputation as a defensive powerhouse, France needed to score offensively in this encounter to keep up with the USA’s arsenal.
Ntilikina and France took home the silver medal as the USA prevailed 98-87, making history as the first team to medal in men’s basketball while playing in their own nation since the US in 1996.
Victor Wembanyama, who has been suffering in the last few Olympic games, woke up this game with an efficient 26 points and 7 rebounds, offering Mavericks fans a preview of what to expect as he plays in the same division as the San Antonio Spurs. He scored the most points in the game, closely followed by France’s Guerschon Yabusele (20 points) and the USA’s Curry (24 points). Curry was explosive for the US, especially in the last five minutes when he shot three points with fire.
Ntilikina signed with Partizan in Serbia to presumably terminate his NBA career after spending five games with the Charlotte Hornets in the previous campaign. The New York Knicks selected him eighth overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, one selection ahead of the Mavs with Dennis Smith Jr. He spent just two seasons with Dallas, averaging just 3.6 points per game.
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