Canada Basketball

[Primer]

We're going to the Olympics!

Finally, 24 years later.

This is just the start. USA vs Canada will be a rivalry like it is in hockey, just USA has the edge here.

[planetmars]

Biggest win in Canada's basketball? Well at least during when I've been paying attention. They got to the Olympics in 2000 but I don't remember how they got there. But this was a ballsy win. Down by double digits twice I believe and came back both times. RJ kept us in the game in the first. He was aggressive. Got a 3pt shot to go in off the corner. Hit both his free throws but got into early foul trouble. Actually the entire team did. Refs really were on something. Spain had two weird plays where they hit a 3 and we fouled. Got two shots in one of those cases because they were in the bonus? Why two shots and not one? In the other case, I believe it was in the 3rd quarter.. they hit a 3, and Brooks had an unsportsmanlike foul... resulting in two shots and the ball back. They got both free throws and another bucket.. 7 point swing. So dumb. Are these rules real? Anyway we fought hard defensively. NAW was really good. Dort did his usual stuff. But Brooks was really solid as well when he wasn't trying to take someone's head off. Powell was underrated. Without him we'd lose for sure. He was working hard to seal off rebounders in the second half. Got to the rim hard. Kept Willy off the boards. The MVP's were Brooks were his timely defense and timely shots. Shai for just being awesome. Ice in his veins from the free throw line. Timely passes. And again Powell for manning the paint. I thought Olynyk had a really bad game. And I think the nerves got to him. Some dumb turnovers. Bad defense. Glad we went small in the 4th. And the only guy that fouled out was RJ which is crazy considering how many guys were playing with 4 fouls. My heart did sink though when Spain shot that final 3. It front rimmed but it was a clean look. If we had gone to O/T I'm not sure we would have survived. Seeing Powell cry as he was heading to the locker room choked me up a bit. I saw the brackets. US lost so we don't have to face them until the gold. But we face Luka first. And then the winner of Lithuania and Serbia. One step at a time. Slovenia plays a lot like the Mavs. Just put Dort/Brooks on Luka and make his life hard. And we can win this.

[guyroch]

What a difference in narrative one last quarter or last 2 mins of this game makes. We can go from gut punch and a year of negative vibes too a ticket to the Olympics and we best France and Spain in the same tournament. We have been on the wrong side of these changing moments . Way to often .. What a roller coaster ride this game was . With the monkey off their back .. They can play nice and relaxed for the rest of the tournament

[golden]

Knocking out the champs is never easy. Great learning experience for Canada, adjusting to the FIBA rules, letting them be physical with our guards. Could go all the way now.

[MixxAOR]

What a win! Apologize to Dillon Brooks

[golden]

Canada's defensive rotations are terrible. Over-reacting and leaving cutting lanes wide open.

[slaw]

Leaving so many points on the board. Missed free throws, wide open threes. Good grief.

[golden]

Canada's offense looks like the ISO Raptors. Jordi still hasn't figured out how to beat a double team or trapping the ball-handler.

[MixxAOR]

Canada needs better bigs

[MixxAOR]

it's not best of 7 like in NBA where eventually cream rises to the top. Upsets happens. That's why some people prefer March Madness

[chris]

I think Latvia is just better than Spain. Spain limped through their first bracket. We should be them easily, but I said the same thing about Brazil.

?... they won all three games by an average of 23 points with their closest being an 18 point dismantling of brazil

i agree we should beat them based on talent, and based on talent we should finish 2nd in this tournament, but unfortunately fiba is making us play the games and they're all win or go home now and another poor shooting performance for this team lacking perimeter shooting is curtains.

[golden]

Spain got a wake up call themselves by losing to Latvia.

Then it just comes down to talent & 2 coaches who lost out to Darko for the Raptors job. Talent is no contest.

[Primer]

I think Latvia is just better than Spain. Spain limped through their first bracket. We should be them easily, but I said the same thing about Brazil.

[planetmars]

Spain got a wake up call themselves by losing to Latvia.

[golden]

Team Canada needed the wakeup call. Would not be surprised if they blow Spain TF out.