Canada survive a late comeback, eliminate Spain, remain perfect

LILLE (France) – We told you Group A was the group of death at the Olympics. Canada advanced with a perfect record, while Greece, Australia and Spain ended up in a three-way tie which put the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 champs at the bottom.

Canada defeated them 88-85 in the last game of Group A, confirming once again they are a legit medal contender here.

Turning point

Canada opened up 14-point lead in this one, but Spain had a clutch run in them, cutting the gap down to 80-77 with 2:22 on the clock, thanks to Dario Brizuela’s offensive impulse from the bench. Brizuela even had a chance to tie it with 1:10 to play, but his three-pointer bounced off the rim.

However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed one on the other end, and fouled Alex Abrines after the shot. The Spanish shooting guard made it 82-80 with 52 seconds left on the game clock.

With SGA and Andrew Nembhard fueling the offense for most of the game, you’d expect Canada to go back to them once more in the next possession. You’d be wrong.

RJ Barrett was the man of the hour, hitting a gigantic three-pointer from the left corner after Shai drove to the basket and passed it to him to make it 85-80 with 38.8 seconds to play, just enough to secure the win and eliminate Spain, even though Sergio Llull’s three-pointer made it a one-point game with 2.7 to play.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander iced the game from the free throw line, and Llull’s halfcourt attempt did not drop as time expired.

Game hero

There’s a reason RJ Barrett is in the MVP race.

Check out the latest edition of the MVP Ladder

Paris 2024 MVP Ladder: Who were the best players so far?

The forward wasn’t as good in this one as in the previous two games, but it was his big shot that saved the day for coach Jordi Fernandez.

Barrett finished with 16 points and Canada were a +12 team with him on the floor. That was a team-high for Canada in the +/- department.

Stats don’t lie

Canada’s pressure on the defensive end is just too tough. Spain committed 15 turnovers, allowing Canada to storm through for a 21-6 advantage in points from turnovers.

Bottom line

The closest of all groups deserved the closest of all finishes. While Canada knew they were through no matter what, their 3-0, +20 record could give them an easier draw in the Quarter-Finals.

With them surviving the last comeback, it was actually Australia celebrating the most, as the Boomers now not only advanced, but claimed second spot in the group, too.

Spain dropped to fourth and will not make it to the Quarter-Finals of the Olympic games for the first time in 24 years.

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