HAMILTON – All in all, a success. It wasn’t perfect, but the new iteration of the Canadian senior men’s national team did more than work against the Dominican Republic in qualifying for the World Cup on Friday night.
They beat the visitors 95-75 in a victory that had its blows at first, but in the end it was just what everyone expected: a team with elite NBA talent backed by polished professionals. ‘Other parts of the lineup is difficult for anyone. to catch.
Canada was led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who outscored all scorers by 32 points and added five rebounds and five assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder star helped his team open the game with a quarter of 15 points. Her cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the Utah Jazz, added 17 points, while Kelly Olynyk of the Detroit Pistons added 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Dwight Powell, the great of the Dallas Mavericks, contributed nine points on 4-of-5 shots, adding six rebounds and establishing an endless supply of ball screens for the Canadian Guards.
The win improved Canada to 5-0 in Group C of the first round of the standings. They complete the stage on Monday when they travel to play in the Virgin Islands, which are the last of the group. Whatever the outcome there (Canada won by 48 without the benefit of their NBA talent when they played in February), Canada is confident of advancing to the second round and, except for a sudden turn of fortune, is well positioned to advance in FIBA World. Basketball Cup in the Philippines and Japan.
But the result was somehow secondary, as the match was the first test of the senior men’s team’s plan to establish a 14-player summer core. This plan involves his best talents committing to playing in Canada this summer and the next two in order to create cohesion on their path to what they hope will be his first Olympic appearance since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
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The difference became apparent before the ball went up when Canada presented its starting lineup, with four NBA players to the delight of a crowd of approximately 6,000 exhausted spectators at the FirstOntario Center in Hamilton, Ont. No one received greater joy than Gilgeous-Alexander, who played high school basketball in the city before leaving for the United States.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who set up the early crowd with a left-footed shot, a first-time event for the right-hander, apparently. “Just knowing that all the people who have seen me grow up since I was like, in high school, they were there watching me play today. Something I can’t describe and then it came out the way I wanted to get into it.
In fact, Canada had more NBA players on the bench watching (not all members of the summer core were able to play this summer, but as part of their commitment they are expected to be part of team training and events) than the Dominican, who counted. towards its alignment.
Needless to say, they had no one to match Gilgeous-Alexander, who was as impressive as possible in making his first appearance on the court with the men’s team, a performance that bodes well for a good future, but which also indicated its emerging status as unique. of the best guards Canada has ever had.
“Surely he’s up there with the best of them,” said national team veteran Olynyk, who is in his second decade with the program. “It’s a privilege to play with a boy like that. We have now had many going through this program. He is not alone. It’s fun to play with it, fun to watch, fun to witness. I think everyone here has had a treat tonight.
“His IQ is high. He knows the game, he sees the game, he’s disinterested,” Olynyk continued. He gets off the ball, retrieves it, takes his place when they are there. He really knows how to play in the flow of the game. This is something that is sometimes lost. He is very good at this. Obviously, he’s a high-level player, super skilled at both ends of the court. He changes the game, as you saw in the third quarter. It just changed the game for us. “
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Canada’s talent advantage was soon shown. After a sloppy start for Canada, they got their first separation from a cheeky DR squad with a 7-0 that featured a comeback from Olynyk, a spectacular block in a Kyle Alexander kill attempt ( a European professional with experience in the NBA). two free throws by Gilgeous-Alexander, and one three by Alexander-Walker. Another triple on Alexander-Walker’s timbre, which had nine points in the quarter, gave Canada a 21-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The visitors continued to press and led 31-30 with 5:48 to play in the half and had the game tied 35-35 with 3:09 to play before Canada finished with a partial 11-1, marked by one the Gilgeous-Alexander bell before the teams ran to their respective locker rooms.
Canada’s talent advantage began to show even more clearly in the third quarter. First Olynyk and Powell combined in a few high and low pass plays that resulted in Powell’s kills. Then Gilgeous-Alexander started doing what he does best in the NBA – using his low haggling and his long strides to put the ball in the paint, where he finished or tied fouls. Warm enough, he went into a triple in transition to extend Canada’s lead to 21 with 2:57 by the end of the third. Two more triples from Alexander put Canada up 28 at the end of the period as Canada led 76-48 to start the fourth quarter.
Canada was never seriously threatened after that and the highlight of the period was when 7-foot-4 Zach Edey of Purdue University, the only college player named in Canada’s summer core, he replaced to make his debut in the men’s senior team, with great enthusiasm. of the crowd that was just behind the great Toronto-born man. The 20-year-old put himself on the board with a couple of free throws for his first points with the senior.