In a season, some games matter more than others. This is the case this Sunday for Victor Wembanyamawho faced his training club, Nanterre 92. He and the Metropolitans emerged victorious from this confrontation (92-85), thus equalizing the balance of Cholet, at the top of Betclic Elite.
Once inside the room, after a long line, the electricity in the air is palpable. There has perhaps never been so much noise at the Marcel-Cerdan sports hall. For good reason, Nanterre fans turned out in droves to liven up this special evening in many ways.
Special is for Wembanyama, who has found the team that saw him take his first steps on parquet. For the pivot, Nanterre – who joined as a 10-year-old and only left last year for ASVEL – is like his “second home, the foundation”, according to the words of Pascal Giberné in SLAM. Impossible for him, in his last season in France, to face this confrontation like any other.
The event is obviously special for the club’s supporters, always attached to their nugget. A feeling of pride for some, perhaps a desire for revenge for others, prompted them to come and disturb the usual calm of Boulogne-Levallois.
After that, the bond between the two men on the bench probably fades into the background. But the coaches of both teams, Vincent Collett et Pascal Donnadieuhe certainly didn’t see it that way. Associated with the French national team, the tacticians had to put their deep friendship aside for one evening. For many, this match therefore counts more than the others.
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Victor Wembanyama and Nanterre surrender in quick succession
Don’t judge a book by its cover or a game by its opening minutes. If the Metropolitans managed to score 17 points before Nanterre returned an early field goal, it was a red herring. The two teams eventually engaged in trench warfare that lasted nearly 40 minutes.
In one field, Victor Wembanyama – as usual – led his team with outstanding moves. But in front, the Greens, very collective, did not let themselves be overwhelmed. Their brash accuracy (41.4% from three-point range) allowed them to recover quickly.
With incessant lead changes, the fourth quarter was a real thriller. Taking the lead with less than 5 minutes to go, Nanterre knew how to believe it until the end. But, once on the edge of the precipice, Boulogne-Levallois was able to reverse the situation at the best moment.
With a Wembanyama basket, then 5 points by Tremont waters in less than a minute the locals regained the upper hand and didn’t let him get away. At the end of regulation time, it was the Metropolitans who finally won, not without difficulty.
Victor Wembanyama finished the game with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks, 10-19 shooting, but only 1-5 from three-point range. Decisive in the final moments, he has once again displayed an almost unnerving mastery for his age. If this no longer surprises us, it must be repeated again: the 2m21 pivot has an absolutely unique talent. He proved it again.
It’s crazy ✋ pic.twitter.com/WHVpK5st0E
— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) November 20, 2022
However, the results are not all positive for the home team. Abraham Fall Faye, who went out on one leg in the first quarter, appears to have badly injured his knee. His status next weekend against Nancy is obviously uncertain. It’s never all rosy.
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