France basketball team avenge Serbia defeat in Orleans

France have answered their earlier loss to Serbia and head into their next World Cup qualifying test with a narrow victory over the same opponents. The win in Orleans reverses Thursday’s three-point defeat in Belgrade and gives Frédéric Fauthoux’s team a significant result before facing Slovenia.

France won 91-90 after Jaylen Hoard blocked Serbia’s final attempt on the buzzer. Marko Guduric had put Serbia ahead by one with four seconds remaining, but Hoard’s decisive defensive play settled a contest that had changed direction several times. France had led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter before Serbia recovered.

Nikola Jokic scored 32 points and helped Serbia erase most of the deficit after the break. The visitors eventually moved in front for the first time with less than eight minutes left, but Victor Wembanyama helped France respond and Sylvain Francisco restored the hosts’ advantage. Rudy Gobert then added an alley-oop as France resisted Serbia’s late pressure.

France will next meet Slovenia, led by Luka Doncic, at Paris-Bercy on Thursday in the 2027 World Cup qualifiers. The victory over Serbia provides Fauthoux’s side with a positive result before that fixture.