Canada seeks improved showing against Aussies

LILLE, France – Improvement was nan shared connection aft Canada’s men’s hoops squad earned its first triumph astatine nan Olympics.

The seventh-ranked Canadians topped No. 14 Greece 86-79 connected Saturday successful nan group-stage opener. The Canadians ne'er trailed but location were a fewer moments wherever Greece chipped astatine nan lead capable to make it a one- aliases two-possession game, particularly down nan stretch.

Canada adjacent faces fifth-ranked Australia — nan reigning Olympic bronze medallists — connected Tuesday.

“We cognize we tin beryllium better, we tin play amended passim 40 minutes,” Canada caput coach Jordi Fernandez said Saturday. “But you’ve sewage to return it successful a tourney for illustration this, and successful a group for illustration nan 1 that we have. We’re going to look Australia, 1 of nan champion programs successful nan world, truthful we’re happy pinch a win.”

Star defender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said Saturday that Canada “did a batch of things well.”

“We were nan aggressors for astir of nan game, particularly successful nan first half,” he said. “Just closing nan crippled a small spot amended defensively. Offensively we sewage bully looks down nan stretch, we conscionable didn’t make them.”

Canada and Australia presently beryllium astatine nan apical of Group A, besides known arsenic nan “Group of Death” astatine nan Games. The Aussies defeated No. 2 Spain 92-80 connected Saturday.

“It’s a reliable one. But I deliberation astatine nan extremity of nan day, that conscionable helps you hole for what’s coming after,” Fernandez said of playing successful a difficult group. “I deliberation that erstwhile you past a group for illustration this, it conscionable makes you better.

“It happened past twelvemonth (at nan FIBA World Cup). We were playing France. We had nary experience. Spain, Latvia, Brazil, and I deliberation coming retired of that group conscionable helped america hole for nan tournament. And I judge successful this lawsuit correct now successful nan Olympics, it’s going to beryllium very similar.”

Both Canada and Australia qualified for nan Olympics astatine past summer’s World Cup, but pinch results that were successful stark opposition of each other.

Australia qualified arsenic nan top-ranked Oceania squad astatine nan tourney but suffered an underwhelming second-round exit. Meanwhile, Canada put nan world connected announcement by winning its first-ever World Cup badge pinch bronze.

Australia, nan first state from extracurricular nan Americas and Europe to triumph a badge successful men’s basketball, is looking to rebound from its World Cup effort. Canada is looking to gain its 2nd Olympic badge and first since nan 1936 Berlin Games.

While Greece presented a situation pinch superstar powerfulness guardant Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 34 points, Australia brings thing different pinch its fast-paced offence and a reliable backcourt led by Patty Mills and Josh Giddey.

Giddey feels if nan Aussies tin instrumentality to their game, they’ll beryllium a difficult matchup for anybody.

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“Once we sewage backmost to playing together, unselfish basketball, we looked unstoppable,” he said aft nan triumph complete Spain. “I deliberation we’ve conscionable sewage to effort to minimize nan lapses that we person and this team’s going to beryllium a reliable squad to beat.”

Despite nan situation Australia presents, it tin play into Canada’s spot from a matchup perspective, particularly if nan Canadians tin stay disciplined connected some ends.

The mostly of Canada’s talent lies connected nan perimeter, led by Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett and Dillon Brooks offensively. Canada pairs its violative prowess pinch beardown on-ball unit defensively — thing Fernandez was pleased pinch against Greece.

Although Murray didn’t person a starry performance, Barrett and Brooks scored 23 and 14 points, respectively, to spell on pinch Gilgeous-Alexander’s 21, which included 7 of Canada’s last 13 points to seal nan win.

“We cognize Canada’s sewage a batch of talent, they’re a very bully team,” Giddey said Saturday. “Tough squad but we’re looking guardant to it.”

Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey person plentifulness of familiarity pinch 1 different arsenic teammates pinch nan NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder nan past 3 years.

“It’ll spell some ways,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Obviously we spent a batch of years successful nan backcourt playing together.

“I cognize his crippled for illustration nan backmost of my manus and I’m judge he knows excavation nan aforesaid way, truthful it’ll beryllium a nosy matchup.”

This study by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2024.