Israel stunned France 82-69 at EuroBasket 2025 on Sunday night as the dynamic duo of Deni Avdija and Yam Madar ran circles and shot lights out against Les Bleus in the second half to send the blue-and-white fans into pandemonium, savoring one of the greatest wins by the national team.
The win, Israel’s first over France since 1997, moves the blue-and-white’s record to 2-1 in Group D as it will now get ready for Belgium on Tuesday and Slovenia on Thursday with qualification for the knockout stages in Riga almost secured.
Zaccharie Risacher and Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Jaylen Hoard did as they pleased for France as it jumped out to a 20-10 lead, but Avdija and Khadeen Carrington scored for Israel to drop the deficit to 22-17 after the opening frame.
Madar began to find his rhythm to help the blue-and-white jump ahead as Mam Jaiteh pushed Les Bleus back into the lead; however, baskets by Yovel Zoosman, Roman Sorkin, and Nimrod Levi knotted the score up at 36-36 by halftime.
Madar and Avdija both went from deep to begin the third quarter to give Israel the lead. Hoard and Risacher scored at the other end of the court. Eitan Burg put in good minutes, but Eli Okobo drained a pair of triples to put France back in front 56-55 after 30 minutes of action.
Israel scores big at Eurobasket
Avdija began the fourth quarter from deep and added a 3-point play. Tomer Ginat put in a couple of critical baskets while Avdija and Madar scored off fast breaks to polish off the historical victory.
Avdija scored 23 points, Madar added 17 points, and Ginat put in 14 points in the win. Risacher scored 14 points, Okobo chipped in with 13 points, and Hoard scored 12 points in the loss.
Avdija, the game’s MVP, spoke about the win.
“I went to bed at 5 a.m., I couldn’t fall asleep after the last shot [against Poland]. We all came here tired, we gave our heart and soul because this is the Israeli team. This is our fighting spirit, this is our blood. What can I say about Yam Madar? He’s playing on half a knee and is doing everything he can. I love him.
“We came with the belief that we knew how to fight, and we knew it would be difficult. I’m proud of each and every one of the guys. We’ll move on. We have to stay humble; we have two more games to go, and we have to stay grounded. As for the fans, they have been unbelievable, and we hope everyone who’s at home is enjoying as well.”
Madar also spoke about the win.
“I think we really did the best preparation we could have done. We came in and believed in ourselves. We knew it would be a very tough game against France but we kept fighting throughout the game I think the key was toughness. We did a good job and I’m glad we won.”
On Saturday, Israel came agonizingly close to a dramatic victory in Katowice, but ultimately fell 66-64 to host nation Poland.
Despite a heroic third-quarter comeback led by Avdija, who tied his national team career high with 23 points, Israel missed a chance to steal the win at the buzzer.
Poland leaned heavily on former Maccabi Tel Aviv guard Jordan Loyd, who poured in 27 points, including clutch baskets down the stretch. Captain Mateusz Ponitka added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the hosts, who improved to 2-0 in Group D.
“What made the difference? One play here or there. A rebound at the end,” noted Tomer Ginat. “These are plays from the final minutes. There’s still plenty to fight for; every game is a tough game. We’re a good team, and I think we proved that.”
The game started with Poland in full control. Backed by more than 10,000 home fans, Loyd lit up Israel’s defense early and gave the Poles an 11-point halftime lead.
But after scoring just seven points in the first half, Avdija exploded in the third quarter, dropping 16 points in a stunning solo run. His energy on both ends sparked Israel to a 51-48 lead heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter turned into a tense battle. Israel’s naturalized guard Kadim Carrington added timely baskets, while Tomer Ginat fought inside to keep the game close. But every time Israel edged ahead, Loyd answered, including a decisive bucket with 13 seconds left.
With one final chance to win, Avdija took a step-back three at the buzzer. The shot rimmed out, leaving Israel heartbroken after a spirited effort.
“It’s hard for me on a personal level,” said Avdija. “We fought so much, with so much willpower, we gave everything. The fans here booed during the anthem; they didn’t behave properly. I felt this was the time to win on this soil. I just needed to be a little more focused in certain moments. They started the game better, and that was the difference. I felt good during the game; we always believed in our shot.”