FIBA World Cup 2023: Canada storm to second round undefeated after taking down top group rivals Latvia

Paris 2024

Canada top Group H after a tight 101-75 game against previously undefeated Latvia to cruise into the second round on a winning streak.

2 minBy Olympics.com
A basketball player shouts while dribbling the ball and trying to avoid a player from the opposing team.

(Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)

The biggest showdown in Group H came down to 26 points as two previously undefeated teams, Canada and Latvia, came head-to-head at the 2023 FIBA World Cup on Tuesday (29 August).

Canada came out on top after reversing the tide on the final whistle in the second quarter. Finishing at the top of the group standings, the Canadians continue their successful record at the tournament to follow up on earlier dominant wins over France and Lebanon.

Both teams advance to the second round where they will play against Spain and either Brazil or Ivory Coast. The final team in their second round Group L will be determined in the Ivory Coast-Brazil game on Wednesday, 30 August.

Latvia put themselves on the scoreboard in the first minute of play at the Jakarta Indonesia Arena thanks to a three-pointer from Arturs Zagars and increased that lead to 10 points at the end of the first quarter.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kelly Olynyk and Canada's points leader Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined efforts to shake their team out of its languid pace in the second quarter, capitalising on five free throws, until RJ Barrett finally edged out Latvia with a one-point lead on the whistle.

From that point on the tide changed with Canada defending a narrow, but stable lead. The Canadians finally broke from the narrow deadlock in the fourth quarter, the now 19-point lead urging Latvia to take at timeout with just over two minutes left on the clock.

It was all in vain, however, with three-point jump shots from Andrejs Grazulis and Davis Bertans failing to make a difference.

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