Canada's opponents, schedule revealed for next round of FIBA World Cup
Canada has been cruising right along at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
With high expectations for a roster loaded with NBA talent, there were always some doubts if the perennially disappointing Canadian team could actually find their stride this time around.
But starting off their tournament with a 95-65 win over France and following it up with big victories over Lebanon and Latvia, Canada has emerged as one of the favourites to win the entire tournament.
Canada advanced out of the FIBA World Cup group stages as the top seed in Group H, the first time theyâve won their group in tournament history.
They’ll be taking on Brazil on Friday, September 1 at 6:30 am PT/ 9:30 am ET, before taking on Spain on Sunday, September 3 at 6:30 am PT/ 9:30 am ET.
âOur first goal was to win the group stage, but weâre not done,” Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after yesterday’s win, as per Canada Basketball’s Holly Mackenzie. “Weâre not satisfied. We have five more games to try to go win.â
The results from the first round carry over, and the top two teams from Latvia, Canada, Spain, and Brazil advance to the single elimination knockout round, beginning with the quarterfinals starting next week. Spain has won all three games they’ve played so far, while both Latvia and Brazil carry a 2-1 record.
Should Canada win Friday (and Spain beat Latvia), it’ll all but guarantee them a berth in the quarterfinal round, with the Canadians’ current +111 point differential already the highest in the tournament. The quarterfinals will be held on Tuesday, September 5 and Wednesday, September 6; the semifinals on Friday, September 8; and the third-place match and final on Sunday, September 10.
Both games featuring Canada (as well as every game from the quarterfinals onwards) will be broadcast on Sporstnet, while online paid streaming service Courtside 1891 has the rest of the games in the tournament available.