Canada marches on after handling Argentina at home

VICTORIA (Canada) – There is one team that is head and shoulders above everybody else at the 2023 FIBA World Cup Americas Qualifiers and that is Nick Nurse’s squad.

Canada defeated Argentina, 99-87, at Victoria Memorial Arena Thursday night in a game where the difference between both teams was clearly wider than the 11-point final margin.

 

Led by team stalwarts Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kelly Olynyk, the home team took the lead midway through the first quarter and never relinquished it, getting contributions from up and down its roster to extend their undefeated record to 9-0.

The Oklahoma City Thunder guard was in total control of the game, setting up his teammates throughout the first half as Canada expanded its lead and then turning on the jets after intermission, scoring 11 of his 23 points in the third quarter – establishing a margin that would prove to be insurmountable for Argentina.

 

Gilgeous-Alexander shot 8/19 form the field and 3/6 from beyond the arc, while adding eight assists, four rebounds, a steal and a pair of blocks.

He dominated at all three levels, getting to the basketball at will, finding his spots in the midrange and even displaying an improved outside shot.

Pullup jumper off the dribble? Not a problem for the Toronto-born 24-year-old.

 

Argentina struggled to contain him on the perimeter, while also failing to find an answer for fellow NBA veteran Olynyk.

The Detroit Pistons power forward was fouled constantly throughout the night, scoring 11 of his 21 points at the free throw line.

And on the other end, Olynyk and Dwight Powell combined to shut down the paint, only allowing Argentina to score 28 points.

The game was only as close as it ended up being due to an otherworldly performance from Nicolás Laprovíttola.

The diminutive point guard kept his country afloat for as long as he could. He already had 21 points at halftime and 30 at the end of the third quarter before both head coaches emptied their benches early in the fourth.

Laprovíttola shot 7/13 from the field and 12/14 at the charity stripe. Facundo Campazzo added 17 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, while also getting to the line frequently (shooting 9/11).

But neither them nor National Team fixtures Gabriel Deck (16 points) or Marcos Delía (4 points, nine rebounds and a block) could string enough plays together to threaten Canada. They did manage to force Nurse to bring back Gilgeous-Alexander to close the game, but the closest they got was within nine points in the game’s final seconds.

And while Canada did score above their average of 92.7 points per game in the tournament, their previous average margin of victory (33 points) will come down after matching up against Argentina.

Argentina was also able to hold Canada below their field goal, three-point and free throw percentages, albeit not by margins large enough to make a significant dent.

In the end, Canada’s bench outscored Argentina’s 30-15 thanks to timely contributions from Cory Joseph, Kevin Pangos and Kassius Robertson, while Nicolás Brussino and José Vildoza couldn’t do the same for the South Americans. 39-year-old and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Carlos Delfine did score 10 points off the bench for Nestor “Che” García’s squad.

With the win, Canada remains atop Group E with a perfect 9-0 record, while Argentina is now tied for third at 5-2.

Canada will now travel to Panama for a matchup against one of the group’s last-place teams, while Argentina will play host to the other one (Bahamas) at Polideportivo Islas Malvinas in Mar del Plata. Both games will be played on Monday, August 29th.

 

FIBA