On Friday in Lille, Canada secured its third consecutive victory, defeating Spain with a score of 88-85, thus achieving a flawless victory in all Group A matches.
Spain, renowned for its men’s basketball program, was ousted from the tournament after the defeat. Canada, having secured a place in the quarterfinals before the match, fended off a Spanish rally to ensure a top three seeding in the quarterfinals.
The key basket in sealing the Canadian victory was orchestrated by their two best players who can be known just by their initials: SGA and RJ. With roughly 40 seconds of game time remaining, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander penetrated to the middle of the paint, gathered toward the rim, and then dished out to a wide-open RJ Barrett in the left corner who nailed the three.
The final score of 88-85 mirrors the outcome of the previous encounter between the two nations at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where Canada secured their place for Paris 2024.
Unlike Spain, who was playing to keep their Olympic hopes alive, Canada was playing for seeding in the quarterfinals as their spot was secured following the Australia win on Tuesday.
They played an even first quarter with Spain, 19-19 but began to pull away in the second. For the first time in the tournament, Fernandez gave some extended rest to his starters, and leaned on the bench to provide some quality minutes. Andrew Nembhard took full advantage, coming in to play behind SGA, and knocking down two threes to give Canada a four-point lead.
When SGA returned, he knocked down a three off of a Kelly Olynyk pass from the high-post, and then stripped the ball cleanly from Spanish guard Sergio Llull, finishing on the other end with an uncontested dunk.
Canada took an 11-point lead into halftime.
Dillon Brooks, of Canada, and Jaime Pardilla, of Spain, fight for the ball in a men’s basketball game.
Nembhard punished Spain’s zone defence by getting into the paint. He had eight points in the fourth quarter, none prettier than a transition bucket which featured an in-and-out dribble into a eurostep lefty lay-up.
With 2:09 remaining, and Spain only trailing by three, Nembhard put his defender on skates with a behind-the-back dribble into an easy fadeaway to make it 82-77, Canada.
After Alex Abrines split a pair of free throws for Spain, Barrett’s clutch corner three gave Canada a five-point lead with just 38.8 seconds left.
Spain, on the verge of elimination, would not give in.
A put-back bucket from Jamie Pardilla cut the lead to three, and then a trey ball from Sergio Llull made it just a one-point game with three seconds to go.
Following a timeout by Canada, Spain committed a foul on Gilgeous-Alexander, who was then sent to the free-throw line for two critical shots. He coolly made both. The final attempt from Spain, a half-court throw by Llull, fell short.
“It wasn’t nerve-wracking in the slightest,” SGA remarked about the game’s concluding moments.
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