FIBA World Cup 2014: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Bronze-Medal Game Predictions
Nicolas Batum did everything in his power to propel France into the gold-medal game, scoring 35 points against Serbia and 17 alone in the fourth quarter. But it wasn't to be, and France will have to settle for a battle against Lithuania.
France will likely be the favorite after knocking Spain out of the tournament, but the Lithuanians are no pushovers themselves. Despite a humbling loss to the United States in the semifinals, the Lithuanians are a dangerous side led by Jonas Valanciunas of the Toronto Raptors.
This should be a fun one, folks. Let's break it down.
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| Bronze Medal | Lithuania vs. France | Saturday, September 13 | 12 p.m. | ESPN2 | WatchESPN |
| Gold Medal | Serbia at United States | Monday, September 14 | 3 p.m. | ESPN2 | WatchESPN |
Both games can be streamed via the WatchESPN app or website.
Preview
Lithuania has had a good tournament, winning six of its eight games thus far, even if the contest against the United States brought it back to earth. The Lithuanians perhaps rely a bit too much on Valanciunas to beat a more balanced side like France, however, as the Raptors man is the only player averaging double-digit points in this tournament.
He was also the only player on Lithuania who nearly got cold-cocked by DeMarcus Cousins in the semifinals, per SportsNation on Twitter:
Thank goodness Cousins recovered his composure in time. That could have been a very, very ugly scene.
With 13.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, both tops on the team, there's no doubt who France will look to shut down in this one. Players like Martynas Pocius, Donatas Motiejunas, Darjus Lavrinovic and Adas Juskevicius all are going to have to step up and offer some support to Valanciunas if Lithuania is going to earn bronze.
France is more talented on paper, yes, but Batum has still been the go-to guy, averaging 13 points per game. With Boris Diaw, Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier joining him, the French don't lack for familiar NBA names. And after upsetting Spain, they certainly are capable of beating anyone they face.
On the other hand, they can be unpredictable and underachieving. Had they started with more urgency, they might just be in the gold-medal game right now rather than fighting for a bronze. The 37 fourth-quarter points they scored in that contest illustrated that point, though the French players are fully aware that there are four quarters to a game.
"I think tonight the way we played the first half, we didn't deserve to win that game," Diaw told the Associated Press (via ESPN). "Even when we tried to come back, Serbia deserved to win."
Diaw will be hoping France earns the right to say it got a deserving win on Saturday.
Prediction
On paper, France should win this game. The French have the most talent, the best player in Batum and the motivation to prove they were better than they showed against Serbia. After beating Spain, anything less than a medal would be a grave disappointment.
Lithuania won't roll over and die, but against a France team capable of exploding at any moment, it will be overmatched in this one. France wins, 82-71.
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