Canada picks up second blowout win in a row at FIBA World Cup
Canada is rolling right ahead at the FIBA World Cup.
In their second game of the 2023 edition of the tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia, Canada steamrolled Lebanon for a 128-73 victory.
The Toronto-born, Hamilton-raised Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was again leading the way for Canada, picking up 12 points before getting subbed out midway through the second half with the game well out of reach, playing just 17 of 40 minutes on the day.
heās All NBA First-Team for a reason
šŗ: @Sportsnet
š: https://t.co/jIVIzo9Wkz#FIBAWC | #WinForCanada | #OneTeam pic.twitter.com/Vwo7o5gKFe— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) August 27, 2023
RJ Barrett was the game’s top scorer, putting up 17 points in 20 minutes of action.
We see you, RJ Barrett, we see you! š #FIBAWC x #WinForCanada šØš¦ pic.twitter.com/v02UOg8rli
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 š (@FIBAWC) August 27, 2023
The win comes just two days after an emphatic 95-65 blowout win over France ā one of the biggest in the country’s men’s basketball history.
Canada was a heavy favourite in the matchup, but they actually lost 81-71 back at the 2010 edition of the tournament to Lebanon, when they went 0-5 that year.
11 of Canada’s 12 players got into action on the day, none of whom suited up for more than 21 of the 40 available minutes.
With two wins in as many games, Canada has now secured its spot as one of the final 16 teams in the second round of the tournament, but they’ll need to keep up the strong pace in order to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. Canada faces Latvia on Tuesday, with them soon finding out which five other teams they’ll be placed alongside in round two.
Latvia upset France with a 88-86 win today, bouncing one of the favourites from the tournament while ensuring Canada’s qualification for round two.
The results from all six games in the first two rounds will be taken into account when determining quarterfinal spots, with Canada hoping to be in the mix as late into the tournament as possible to look to be one of seven teams from the tournament to earn an automatic qualifying spot at next year’s Olympics.
And though it’s just two games deep into the tournament, Canada is very much looking like the medal contender many experts picked them to be prior to the World Cup.
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