Canada eliminates Spain to finish 3-0 in Group play: ‘We are here to win gold’
The Canadian Senior Men’s National Team defeated Spain 88-85 on Friday to remain undefeated with a perfect 3-0 record at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The victory allowed Canada to finish atop Group A as they advanced to the quarterfinals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Canada with a game-high 20 points, including a pair of free throws to give Canada a three-point lead with two seconds remaining. A last-second three-point attempt from Spain’s Sergio Llull was off the mark, and Canada escaped with the victory.
“Not nerve-wracking at all,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of his late free throws. “Obviously, they didn’t want to go away. They were playing for their lives. We knew that going to the game, it’s a really good team. We played them last summer, and we know it. They gave us everything they had, and it was a good game.”
He added: “We are here to win gold. Go 6-0”
Andrew Nembhard scored 18 points on 8-for-10 field goals off the bench, prompting Canada head coach Jordi Fernández to call him the team’s “x-factor” in the win.
“We have guys across the board who come in and make a difference, all one through twelve,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We know that, we expect that. Today, we had the Andrew Nembhard game. We’re not surprised.”
Nembhard’s 18 points were the most he’s ever scored in a FIBA game with the Senior Men’s National Team.
“I always knew, I knew he was good, obviously,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Didn’t know he was this good, but yeah, he’s a really talented player, works hard, super poised, can pass, can do a lot of things on the basketball court to hurt you, and whatever team has him is lucky to have him.”
RJ Barrett added 16 points for Canada in the victory, and Dillon Brooks finished with 13 points. Dario Brizuela had 17 points, Llull scored 13 points, and Alex Abrines added 12 points for Spain in the loss.
Despite Canada leading throughout the second half, a late push from a Spanish team that was trying to stave off elimination made the game go down to the wire.
Gilgeous-Alexander drove the lane and found Barrett in the corner for a three-pointer to keep Canada in front by five with 39 seconds remaining. After free throws from Abrines and Llull’s third three of the game, Spain was within one, 86-85, with two seconds remaining, leading to Gilgeous-Alexander’s clutch free throws.
The Canadians were outrebounded 40-29 by Spain, including 17-8 on the offensive glass, but they turned the ball over just nine times, scoring 21 points off of Spain’s 15 miscues. They also held a 44-36 advantage in paint points.
After a close first quarter that saw the score tied at 19, Canada took control in the second, outscoring Spain 30-19. A pull-up three-pointer from Nembhard moved Canada in front by a point, 22-21, before Jamal Murray drove the lane and found Dwight Powell for a layup. Gilgeous-Alexander got a tough lay-in to fall, and then Brooks hit a three to extend Canada’s lead to six points, 38-32, with 3:24 remaining in the half.
Gilgeous-Alexander made a three and then stole the ball, taking it the other way for a dunk before Barrett extended Canada’s lead to 11 points. Canada led 49-38 at the break.
Santi Aldama opened the third quarter with a dunk, but Powell hit one of two free throws, and Gilgeous-Alexander connected on a turnaround jumper to maintain Canada’s double-figure advantage. Back-to-back layups from Barrett and Powell extended Canada’s lead to 14 before Llull hit a three for Spain. After free throws from Abrines, Spain was within nine, but a layup from Barrett kept Canada in front by 11 midway through the quarter.
Spain trimmed Canada’s lead to five as Abrines connected on a pair of threes. After a long two from Nembhard, Hernangomez made a corner three. Murray’s turnaround jumper made it a seven-point lead for Canada with a minute remaining in the third, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker made one of two free throws to close the quarter and give Canada a 64-56 advantage after three.
Nembhard opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a layup, but Spain responded with a three from Brizuela before Nembhard scored his second basket of the quarter. Brizuela scored on Spain’s next two possessions to bring Spain within five. A floater for Nembhard extended Canada’s lead to seven as Spain called timeout. Barrett made it a nine-point game, 76-67, with 5:36 remaining, but Spain began its final push as they tried to hang on for a win that would allow them to advance to the quarterfinal.
Canada finished the Group Phase with an undefeated 3-0 record, marking the fourth time that they have started an Olympic Games men’s basketball tournament with a 3-0 record.
“It’s nice,” Nembhard said. “I can’t say I didn’t feel like this was going to happen. We have a really talented group, and we should be in this position, but it’s nice to see it kind of come to fruition and seeing how many years it took us to get back to this point. It’s good for the country.”
(Release via Canada Basketball)
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