Two days after securing their first win at the Olympic Games in 24 years, Canada’s men’s basketball team is firmly in control of Group A after beating Australia 93-83 on Tuesday in Lille, France.
In a back-and-forth matchup with the 2020 Olympic bronze medallists, Canada took the lead midway through the third quarter, and seized the game in the fourth.
Australia, a team full of talent, depth, and speed, controlled the pace in the first half, but Canada’s shooting kept them close.
“Australia’s been playing with each other for years,“ said Khem Birch post-game. “They’re a physical team, but we are also physical. We match their personality.”
Collectively, Canada looked much better on offence than they did against Greece, shooting 51% from the field, and 36% from beyond the three point line.
On defence, Canada struggled to contain drives and secure rebounds in the first half. Led by 6-foot 8-inch guard Josh Giddey, Australia was able to generate the looks they wanted. Giddey had 15 at the half, and Australia as a team had 30 points in the paint.
READ: Canada marks return to Olympics with tense men’s basketball win over Greece
In the second half, Canada forced 13 Australia turnovers and capitalized on transition opportunities on the other end.
Nothing epitomized Canada’s effort more than a play in the dying seconds of the third quarter, as Josh Giddey held the ball at the top of the key to ensure the last shot for Australia. Lu Dort had other plans, ripping the ball right from Giddey’s hands and slamming home a breakaway dunk on the other end.
However, with 12 seconds left on the clock, Australia came back and got sharpshooter Jack McVeigh a clean look from three. He laced it, bringing Australia to within two points.
It was that kind of game: there were 13 lead changes and nine ties before the end of the third. Canada needed a strong fourth quarter to seal the win.
First, they were active in the passing lanes on defence, forcing Australia to turnovers and tough shots. On the other end, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rolled in a contested mid-range jumper, and Birch converted on a tough lay-up in traffic to get some separation.
Finally, coach Jordi Fernandez called on Jamal Murray down the stretch. Despite his impressive NBA pedigree, Murray has struggled to find his rhythm with the team due to injury and uneven playing time.
But late in the fourth quarter, Fernandez ran a half-court horns set that put Murray in the high-post with the smaller Patty Mills defending him.
Out of this set, Murray generated an open three for RJ Barrett, and nailed a tough mid-range jumper on consecutive possessions. Australia adjusted by switching the taller Giddey onto him, so Murray took Giddey off the dribble and dropped a bounce pass off to Birch for a lay-up. The points generated by Murray pushed the lead to 11, and Canada would not look back, winning 93-83.
Australia would score just 16 paint points in the second half, and shot just 4/13 from the field in the fourth.
“We were just handling storms really well,” Murray said. “Just our ability to adjust during the game, and we got a lot of a lot of personnel that can change the game. I think that’s key for us.”
Barrett continued to relentlessly drive and score at the rim, finishing with a team-high 24 points. Gilgeous-Alexander was clinical in the mid-range, and converted on eight of his 10 field goal attempts. Dillon Brooks played excellent perimeter defence as usual, and finished with 16 points.
“We got stops, we got rebounds and consecutive stops. That’s the key in this game. If you get consecutive stops and you’re able to score on them, that’s when you make a run,” Brooks said.
Dubbed the “Group of Death” by commentators and fans, Canada stands at the top with a 2-0 record. If France and Germany both win their respective games today, Canada will clinch their spot in the quarterfinals.
They will clinch first place in Group A with a win against Spain on Friday. Spain took down Greece in a very close contest earlier in the day, moving their record to 1-1.
Canada vs. Spain will tip off Friday at 11:15 a.m. EST, 5:15 PT.
