Canada downs Puerto Rico in final pre-Olympic game

ORLEANS, France — Canada's national men's basketball team wrapped up pre-Olympic play with a 103-93 exhibition win over Puerto Rico on Sunday.

Dillon Brooks paced the Canadian attack with 21 points, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Trey Lyles each chipped in with 15 off the bench.

Brooks, a defensive specialist for the Houston Rockers, had a very efficient offensive performance, shooting 8-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, in just over 22 minutes of play.

RJ Barrett added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 14 and added six assists.

Canada led 46-40 at halftime and built a comfortable 23-point lead in the third quarter only to watch Puerto Rico make things interesting in the final quarter by cutting the lead to five.

Jose Alvarado kept Puerto Rico competitive with 21 points, including 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.

Gian Clavell added 19 points in the loss.

Both teams shot 50 per cent, but Canada turned the ball over just 10 times compared to 18 for Puerto Rico. Canada capitalized on Puerto Rico’s mistakes, scoring 21 points off turnovers.

The Canadians also dominated inside with a 46-34 advantage in points in the paint and a 10-5 edge in steals. Canada finished with 30 assists on 37 field goals.

Lyles scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half where the score was tied at 23 points after the opening quarter

Canada finished its Olympic tune-up schedule with two wins and a loss. The seventh-ranked Canadians scored a convincing 85-72 victory over host France on Friday in Orleans, after dropping an 86-72 decision to the top-ranked United States on July 11 in Las Vegas.

Guard Jamal Murray, who didn't play against France, played just under seven minutes on Sunday but didn't figure in the scoring. Canada Basketball said Murray, a star guard with the Denver Nuggets, was pulled from Friday's game as "a precaution."

The Canadians open the Olympic basketball competition on Saturday against 14th-ranked Greece, led by two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, in Lille, France.

Canada's men's basketball team will be making its first Olympic appearance since finishing seventh at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Along with Greece, Canada is in Group A, the tournament's so-called "Group of Death," with No. 2 Spain and No. 5 Australia.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2023.