In a tight, seesaw affair between two international powerhouses, Canada’s senior men’s national team overcame a sluggish defensive first half, turning up the heat when it mattered most to defeat Australia 93-83 in their second game of the 2024 Paris Olympic Summer Games.
Canada improves to 7-3 all-time against Australia in FIBA World Cup and Olympics competition, and is now 13-5 all-time under head coach Jordi Fernandez.
After allowing Australia to dictate the tempo and control the game in the opening twenty minutes, which saw Canada trailing 28-26 after the first quarter and 49-45 at halftime, the Canadian offense took charge in the third quarter, building a ten-point lead that evaporated to a two-point edge by the end of the third quarter at 72-70.
Struggling to generate points off turnovers, with just six points from nine turnovers in the first half, Canada’s defense held Australia to just 34 points in the second half, including 13 in the final frame. They forced 18 turnovers, which translated into 28 points off the Aussies’ miscues, allowing Canada to run away with a double-digit victory and step closer to the quarter-finals.
The Canadians can book a ticket to the next round if both Germany and France win their second games, which would automatically guarantee a spot regardless of the outcome of their final group match.
Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett continued his outstanding FIBA career with a game-high 24 points, including 13 in the third quarter, shooting an efficient 8-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 from downtown in 21 minutes. Barrett added seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals in what has been arguably his best game in a senior men’s uniform.
“I work hard, and this team has been working hard. Really, it’s not just me—first, all glory to God—but I’m playing with some great players. You know, Shai, Jamal, Dillon, Andrew, and Nickeil are just getting me wide-open shots, and I’m just able to play my game,” Barrett said.
Barrett’s 47 points in two games are the second most points scored by a Canadian player in the first two games in Olympics history, trailing only Alan Kristmanson, who scored 50 points in his first two contests in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Forced to the bench with two early fouls in the first two minutes, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished strong with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting, adding four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks in 25 minutes without picking up another foul.
Dillon Brooks once again provided a key offensive spark with 16 points, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. He also took on the challenge of guarding Australia’s best player, initially matched up against Josh Giddey.
After Giddey scored 15 of his team-high 19 points in the first half, head coach Jordi Fernandez turned to Giddey’s former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate, Montreal’s six-foot-five guard Luguentz Dort.
Dort took over the assignment, limiting Giddey to just four points the rest of the way while contributing 11 points and two assists, including a highlight dunk off one of his three steals.
“Josh was very, very good in that first half,” Fernández said. “I think Lu took the assignment, and he executed our defence. Not just by himself, but as you can tell, he is extremely physical. If you’re bringing the ball up the court, you don’t want to face that guy.” shared Fernandez after the game.
Six-foot-ten Dwight Powell logged heavy minutes, battled inside and added seven points, nine rebounds and two steals to help Canada win the rebounding battled 37-33.
In search of an answer to Australia’s dominant 30-6 points-in-the-paint advantage in the first half, head coach Jordi Fernandez inserted Khem Birch into the game. Birch provided a spark on both ends with six points, two rebounds, and a blocked shot in eight minutes.
“I think we came back with a purpose in the third quarter,” Fernández continued. “We did a great job, 22 deflections in the second half, only 16 points in the paint allowed and that ignited our offence. The way we ran the floor, we scored a lot off of their turnovers. It starts with the defence.”
Both Jamal Murray and Andrew Nembhard played over 20 minutes off the bench, contributing five points each. They shot a combined 3-of-13 from the floor but helped out in other areas, with Murray adding five assists and three rebounds and Nembhard helping out on the boards with four.
Up next for Team Canada (2-0), with a +17 point differential, is the opportunity to win Group A outright and potentially avoid the Serbia and United States until the medal round. They will face Spain in the final preliminary match-up. Spain (1-1) opened the tournament with a loss to Australia (92-80) and defeated Greece (84-77).
Canada defeated Spain 88-85 in the round of 16 of the 2023 FIBA World Cup to secure their place in the Olympics.
