Canada routs Latvia to complete perfect group round at FIBA World Cup

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 27 points and Canada overcame a sluggish first quarter to rout Latvia 101-75 on Tuesday at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Canada trailed 23-13 after the first quarter and led by just one point at the half before dominating the rest of the game.

With the win, Canada (3-0) finished at the top of its group for the first time at a World Cup.

Gilgeous-Alexander added six rebounds, six assists and two steals for Canada. RJ Barrett had 22 points and five rebounds, with Kelly Olynyk (15 points) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (14 points) also scoring in double digits.

"I didn't start the game the way I needed to, the way the team needed me to," said Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 16 of his points in the third quarter. "Just with my energy level, my activeness on both ends of the floor.

"I looked in the mirror and tried to be better from that point on. Tried to make that my focus, to be better every possession for my team. If I do that, it would set the tone and the tide would turn."

Andrejs Grazulis had 16 points for Latvia (2-1).

“You’ve got to give credit to Latvia," said Canada head coach Jordi Fernández. "They prepared better than any other team we’ve played before. They challenged us."

The momentum shifted in the second quarter, with Canada finishing the half on a 20-7 run and taking the lead into the half on Barrett's layup at the buzzer.

Fernández says he had plenty to say at halftime, but the most important challenge came from the players themselves.

"The best thing is when you walk in the locker room and the guys are already talking to each other," Fernández said. "At that point, yes, I'm trying to help them as the head coach of the team, but they pretty much did it themselves. Holding each other accountable and staying together. You saw the result in the second half.”

Canada and Latvia will next go into a group with the top two teams in Group G, which wraps up play Wednesday. Canada, which outscored its opposition by an average of 37 points a game in the first round, will bring its unbeaten record and plus-111 point differential into the next round.

Defending champion Spain is already through to the group, with Brazil and Ivory Coast battling for the other spot.

Canada will play its first game of the second round on Friday.

"Our first goal was to win the group stage, but we’re not done," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We’re not satisfied. We have five more games to try to go win."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2023.