The anticipated clash between two powerhouse squads in Jakarta, Indonesia, turned into a lopsided affair.
Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada dominated world No. 5 France with a commanding 95-65 victory, igniting their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 journey at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who earned a spot on last season’s All-NBA 1st Team while playing for OKC, spearheaded Canada with an impressive performance of 27 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, setting the stage for their upcoming match against Lebanon on Sunday.
Canada transformed a three-point halftime lead into a substantial 20-point advantage, outscoring Les Bleus 25-8 in the third quarter. Notably, 13 of those points came from Gilgeous-Alexander.
The NBA’s fourth-highest scorer tallied half of his points during the third quarter, including a pivotal three-pointer. Kelly Olynyk and Nickeil Alexander-Walker also sank two three-pointers to conclude the quarter with a commanding 20-point lead of 68-48.
In the second half alone, Canada overwhelmed France with a dominant 52-25 scoring spree.
Although Mathias Lessort’s consecutive inside scores breathed some life into Les Bleus during the final quarter, a putback by Dwight Powell and a three-pointer by Lu Dort, leading to a score of 90-56, sealed the victory for Canada.
Canada’s substantial edge on the offensive glass played a pivotal role in securing their first World Cup triumph, as they secured 15 offensive rebounds compared to France’s six, in addition to capitalizing on 20 points off turnovers.
Apart from Gilgeous-Alexander’s standout performance, Utah Jazz’s big man Kelly Olynyk contributed 18 points. Minnesota Timberwolves’ guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker and newly-signed Houston Rocket Dillion Brooks each scored 12 points.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Lu Dort chipped in seven points, while Dallas Mavericks forward Dwight Powell and New York Knicks’ RJ Barrett added six and five points, respectively.
Despite the loss, New York Knicks’ guard Evan Fournier led Les Bleus with 21 points, three rebounds, and two steals.
Minnesota Timberwolves’ center Rudy Gobert nearly secured a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds, while Los Angeles Clippers’ forward Nicolas Batum remained scoreless during his 24 minutes of playtime.
In an earlier game, Latvia dominated Lebanon with a staggering 42-point margin, concluding with a score of 109-67.
Latvijas Basketbola Izlase maintained their momentum throughout the final quarter, with Anžejs Pasečņiks’ layup and breakaway dunk extending their lead to its largest point of the match at 105-61.
Dairis Bertans led Latvijas Basketbola Izlase’s comprehensive offense with 20 points and four assists, complemented by Rolands Smits’ 17-point performance. Five other Latvian players achieved double-digit scores.
Despite Lebanon’s best efforts, Sergio El Darwich stood out with 19 points and five rebounds. Anyang KGC import Spellman and reigning FIBA Asia Cup MVP Arakji combined for 32 points in their loss. (Ernest Martin Tuazon)
The Scores:
First Game
Latvia (109) – Bertans Dai. 20, Smits 17, Grazulis 12, Zoriks 11, Bertans Dav. 10, Pasecniks 10, Skele 10, Kurucs A. 7, Kurucs R. 5, Zagars 4, Strautins 3, Cavars 0
Lebanon (70) – El Darwich 19, Spellman 18, Arakji 14, Haidar 7, Mansour 5, Mezher 4, Ezzedine 3, Gyokchan 0, Zeinoun 0, Khalil 0.
Quarterscores: 27-17, 55-30, 82-48, 109-70
Second Game:
Canada (95) – Gilgeous-Alexander 27, Olynyk 18, Alexander-Walker 12, Brooks 12, Dort 7, Powell 6, Barrett 5, Alexander 5, Ejim 3, Bell-Haynes 0, Edey 0, Scrubb 0
France (65) – Fournier 21, Lessort 12, De Colo 12, Gobert 8, Francisco 5, Yabusele 4, Ouattara 2, Okobo 1, Tarpey 0, Fall 0, Cordiner 0, Batum 0.
Quarterscores: 14-18, 43-40, 68-48, 90-65
