There’s no doubt that this is Canada’s best team ever.
Well, at least, in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
On Wednesday night, the team from North America brought the program to its first-ever semifinal appearance in the quadrennial hoops meet after eliminating Luka Doncic and Slovenia by way of a 100-89 result in the quarters.
To wear the red and white is already an honor in itself but to write history serves as an icing on the cake for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s been a major driving force behind the Road Warriors’ success thus far in this World Cup.
“It’s an honor. Just putting on this jersey is an honor in itself, and to win is another good feeling,” said the Oklahoma City Thunder star shortly after their win, witnessed by 11,170 fans at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
‘SGA’ himself fueled Canada’s ouster of their fellow favorites. He finished with a game-high 31 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor — including a trio of three-pointers — on top of 10 rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals.
Not only did the 25-year-old combo guard help steer the nation to its maiden semis trip but he has also become the first player to register 30-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in a knockout game in the World Cup since 1994.
Gilgeous-Alexander already scored 13 in the first half before producing nine in the third quarter, where the Canadians dropped 30 as they began to take control of the game after being caught in a 50-all stalemate entering the break.
“It was really good. We started getting stops defensively. Being able to run in transition is when we’re at our best, and we did so for most of that third quarter when we got the lead,” he said, as they scored 23 fastbreak points in the win.
As happy as they are to have reached the semis, though, Gilgeous-Alexander insisted that the whole team is far from satisfied. It is the ultimate prize that they are really going after — nothing more, nothing less.
“But, like I said before, we’re not satisfied. We want to win the gold.”
But they’re being patient with it at the same time. That’s why the sole focus for now is on their next foes in Serbia, who made it to the Final Four by taking down World Cup debutants Lithuania last Tuesday, 87-68, behind Bogdan Bogdanovic.
“We know we got to take it one step at a time,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.
“We play Serbia, a really great basketball team. Just played really well. We got to try to prepare for them the same way we did for this game, then we can focus on the gold but we know we got to take it one step at a time.”
