Victor Wembanyama, France reach gold medal game at Paris Olympics - ESPN

PARIS — Bolstered by an electric home crowd, Victor Wembanyama and France are headed to the gold medal game for the second consecutive Olympics after beating Germany 73-69 in the first of two semifinals Thursday.

France was led by a 17-point effort from Guerschon Yabusele while Isaia Cordinier chipped in 16, none more important than two free throws with seven seconds to play to seal the win

The silver medalists in the Tokyo Games, France now awaits the winner of Team USA and Serbia, who square off in Thursday's second semifinal.

Blood stained the neckline of Wembanyama's jersey after the game, courtesy of a fresh cut on the left side of his neck. He did plenty of sweating during the game and was holding back tears when it was all over.

Blood, sweat and tears. How fitting.

«In our national anthem, we talk about blood,» Wembanyama said. «We're willing to spill blood on the court. So, it's no big deal. If it allows us to win gold, I'm offering. Take all of it.»

Wembanyama — already the NBA Rookie of the Year and a No. 1 overall draft pick — now has a new accolade — an Olympic medalist. The only question is whether it'll be gold or silver, something that'll be determined Saturday night. The French lost to the U.S. in the final at the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Wembanyama was just a kid then, a 17-year-old who was in the early days of becoming known as an NBA prospect. He's a bigger kid now, a 7-foot-4, 20-year-old who is already considered a national hero — not to mention one in San Antonio, where he's been tasked with leading the Spurs back to prominence.

«Of course, it's part of a dream come true,» Wembanyama said. «We can be part of a goal that we set for ourselves months back. We can write history, even more. A