Canada advanced to the second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup after a 101-75 win over Latvia on Tuesday in Jakarta, Indonesia. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Canadians trailed 23-13 after the first quarter and led by one point at halftime before outscoring Latvia 58-33 in the second half.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — who had just eight points in the first half — led all scorers with 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting. RJ Barrett added 22 points.
- Canada, seeking its first podium finish at a men’s FIBA World Cup, opened its tournament with a stunning 95-65 win over France last week before beating Lebanon 128-73. The No. 15-ranked Canadians will play Spain and the winner of Brazil-Ivory Coast in the next round.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How Canada won
After an early 12-point deficit amid whirlwind Latvian ball movement, the Canadians tightened up their defense on the perimeter and forced the Latvians to play more one-on-one. The Latvian attack struggled in the final three periods, mustering just 52 points, while Canada took the lead on Barrett’s runout just before the halftime buzzer and never looked back.
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Offensively, Gilgeous-Alexander got wherever he wanted off the dribble and finished with a team-high 27 points. Canada shot a woeful 11-of-22 from the foul line but the Canadians also made 16 3-pointers, an area looming as a potential weakness entering the tournament. Barrett added 22 and Kelly Olynyk 15, while Canada’s non-NBA depth pieces — forced into duty due to Lu Dort’s absence and Dillon Brooks’ foul trouble — contributed with seven boards and three steals from Melvin Ejim and two key 3-pointers from Phil Scrubb. — Hollinger
What’s next
Canada finished atop Group H at 3-0 and will advance to the second round. Moreover, the win over Latvia will carry over to the next stage, where the Canadians will be in “Group L” with Latvia and the top two teams from Group G — Spain and either Brazil or Ivory Coast. Canada will advance to the quarterfinals if it finishes in the top two of that group, which likely would happen if it wins either of the next two games.
With victory margin a potential tie-breaker, Canada’s +26 margin over Latvia also carries over and could prove helpful if it stumbles in one of the next two contests. Canada’s next game will be Friday in Jakarta, with the opponent to be determined based on Wednesday’s results in Group G.
Canada will be heavily favored to win the group; if it does so, the Canadians will advance to a single-elimination quarterfinal in Manila, where they would likely face one of Australia, Germany or Slovenia. — Hollinger
Highlight of the game
SHAI TAKING OVER. 😤
16 points in the third quarter.#FIBAWC x #WinForCanada 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/DWAn3wP6YL
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🏆 (@FIBAWC) August 29, 2023
Required reading
(Photo: Fermin Rodriguez / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images)
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