Canada vs Slovenia FIBA World Cup Quarter-Final Recap
- The premiere offensive matchup in this game featured Luka Doncic (1st in PPG at the FIBAWC) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (5th in PPG at the FIBAWC)
- It was a tight first half with the teams tied 50-50 after the 2nd quarter
- Canada pulled away in the 3rd Quarter and never looked back, ending with a 100-89 victory
- Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander dominated for Team Canada with an efficient and complete stat line
- Canada will play Serbia in the Semi-Finals on Friday, September 8
CANADA PULL AWAY FROM SLOVENIA IN A DOMINANT TEAM EFFORT
In a game that was closely fought throughout the first half, it ended as a comfortable 100-89 victory for the Canadians. The game was tied 50-50 at halftime and there was balanced scoring across both teams. No player on either side had scored in double-digits until 5:20 to go in the 2nd Quarter when SGA hit a tough jumper to get him to 11 points, but those certainly would not be his last. In the 3rd Quarter, Canada was led by SGA and RJ Barrett. They almost pulled away, but Luka kept things in-check in the closing minutes meaning Canada’s lead was only 80-71 going into the final frame.
In the 4th, Canada started out strong and built up their lead once again. It looked like it might become a blowout, but Dillon Brooks was disqualified for his second technical foul at the 7:06 in the 4th Quarter. This could have been the spark for a Slovenian comeback however Luka Doncic was also disqualified for his second technical foul at the 6:37 mark, negating their advantage. Tensions were clearly running high at the Mall of Asia Arena.
In the end, Canada was too much to handle and closed out the victory. Canada ended this one with 4 players in double-digits including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31 points), RJ Barrett (24 points), Dillon Brooks (14 points) and Nickeil-Alexander-Walker (14 points).
SLOVENIA COULDN’T MAKE A RUN
With the game slipping away in the 4th quarter, Slovenia had an opportunity to claw their way back when Dillon Brooks was disqualified. Losing one of their top defenders, Canada was short-handed and you would have expected Luka to take advantage. Unfortunately for Slovenia, he was also disqualified shortly after and effectively ended the comeback before it started. While one play doesn’t define a game, the Slovenia’s will be wondering what could have been.
Beyond Luka’s 26 points, there wasn’t much fire power from the supporting cast. Klemen Prepelic provided a much-needed 22 points but after him, their next highest scorer was Zoran-Dragic with 10 points. This wasn’t enough when matched up against a deep Canadian roster and this cost them in the second half.
MVP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 31 points led the way for Canada. He was strong from the jump and made big plays when he needed to. He had a complete game adding 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. This earned him the game’s MVP honours and was yet another standout performance for the superstar from Hamilton, Ontario.
While SGA’s stats were impressive, Canada’s third quarter, 30-point explosion was also thanks to RJ Barrett. This was his highest scoring game at this FIBA World Cup and it came at the right time. He ended with 24 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. This was a game that he, Canada Basketball fans and New York Knicks fans were hoping for and hope to see on a regular basis. He is an immense talent on his day, but what will he have in store for the Semi-Finals?
Next up for Canada is Serbia in the Semi-Finals. While going this far into the FIBA World Cup & qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics are both record setting for Canada Basketball, it’s fair to say they won’t be satisfied unless they’re hoisting the FIBA World Cup trophy on Sunday, September 10.
SUPERFAN SIGHTING
On the broadcast, Toronto Raptors Superfan Nav Bhatia was spotted in attendance in Manila for this one, cheering on the Canadians.
HIGHLIGHTS AND RECAPS
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