STOCKHOLM (Sweden) - You always wonder how Victor Wembanyama might beat you on any given day. Let's add "on just seven shots attempted" to the list, with 14,750 witnesses at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
France defeated Sweden 84-69, a final score that hardly told the full story after the hosts had led 65-64 with five minutes to play.
Sweden did a pretty good job in trying to keep Victor Wembanyama away from the ball, playing physically against the big guy and pushing him around.
The trouble was, he only needed seven shots to destroy their efforts. Wemby decided 15 lead changes and seven ties were enough, knocking down his only three-pointer attempt of the day to give France a three-possession lead as the game entered the final 3:30.
His three-pointer paired with a couple of big blocks on the other end took the air out of the building, leaving nearly 15,000 Swedish fans stunned and amazed at the same time.
The 14,750 crowd set a new national attendance record for Sweden and ranks as the fifth-highest attendance in FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers history.
Highest attendances in European Qualifiers
Game | Attendance | Location | Date |
GRE vs BEL | 19,443 | Athens | August 28, 2022 |
SRB vs GRE | 19,150 | Belgrade | August 25, 2022 |
FRA vs SLO | 15,831 | Paris | August 27, 2026 |
TUR vs SRB | 15,556 | Istanbul | August 28, 2022 |
SWE vs FRA | 14,750 | Stockholm | August 30, 2026 |
Sweden dropped to 4-4, while France are now up at 7-1, top of Group L.
Wembanyama was easily the best player of the game for France with 18 points, 6-of-7 field goal shooting, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, 1 steal and an efficiency rating of 25.
Amazingly, this was one of Victor's best game in terms of efficiency rating for the national team.
Wembanyama's most efficient games for France
Efficiency | Opponent (date) |
|---|---|
34 EFF | vs. Czechia (February 23, 2023) |
31 EFF | vs. Türkiye (July 3, 2024) |
30 EFF | vs. Japan (July 30, 2024) |
29 EFF | vs. Germany (July 6, 2024) |
26 EFF | vs. Australia (July 21, 2024) |
25 EFF | vs. Brazil (July 27, 2024) |
25 EFF | vs. Sweden (August 30, 2026) |
Of the games in this table, the one against Czechia was also in the World Cup Qualifiers, while the matchups with Türkiye, Germany and Australia were preparation games.
The ones against Japan and Brazil came at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
FIBA