Overview

• Yabusele powered France to an 83-76 win in Katowice with 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including six threes, plus six rebounds, two blocks and two assists in nearly 36 minutes.
• His expanded workload followed the tournament ruling that Alex Sarr is out with a left calf injury, prompting France to adjust rotations and use Yabusele more at the five.
• After a team discussion to involve him more, Yabusele said he focused on staying aggressive and providing energy, while coach Frédéric Fauthoux praised the collective effort.
• Earlier in group play, he defended a late layup by teammate Sylvain Francisco against Slovenia after a handshake with Luka Dončić, noting point differential can decide standings.
• Yabusele captains France shortly after signing a two-year, $12 million deal with the Knicks, who view him as a bench scorer and spacer alongside other additions like Jordan Clarkson.