The bracket for the knockout stage of the Olympic basketball tournament is set and Canada’s march towards the pinnacle of international basketball certainly won’t get any easier from here on out.
Following a perfect 3-0 run through the ‘Group of Death,’ Canada is set to take on yet another basketball powerhouse in host nation France, headlined by the twin towers of Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama.
Luckily, Canada will avoid a matchup with the United States until at least the Finals should it make it all the way. It instead fell onto the side of the bracket that would match up with the winner of the Germany vs. Greece game.
Canada has looked stellar so far, notching wins over Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece, the FIBA world No. 5 Australia and world No. 3 Spain, affirming its position as a new basketball power on the rise.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has cemented his place as one of the best players in the world, averaging 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 steals + blocks per game. RJ Barrett has played a strong second fiddle, leading the team in points with 21.0 while adding 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
France, meanwhile, went 2-1 in Group A, with its only loss coming against the 2023 FIBA World Cup champs Germany. Though they haven’t looked as electric as some may have thought coming into the tourney, Wembanyama has looked like the prince that was promised.
The 7-foot-4 phenom leads France in almost every statistical category with 17.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.7 steals. He’s also second on the team in blocks with 2.0 and three-point percentage at 43.8 per cent.
The last time these two nations faced off on the international stage was during the group stage of last summer’s FIBA World Cup, with Canada dominating France in a 95-65 win.
However, France played spoiler for Canada the last time the two sides met at the Olympics in 2000, eliminating the team in the tournament’s quarterfinals and starting its 24-year Olympic drought.
Their rubber match tips off at noon ET on Tuesday.
The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday and medal games will be held next Saturday.
Here’s a list and schedule for all the quarterfinal matchups.
Germany vs. Greece at 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT on Tuesday
Serbia vs. Australia at 8:30 a.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. PT on Tuesday
Canada vs. France at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT on Tuesday
USA vs. Brazil at 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday
–––
Here’s a roundup of all the other Olympic basketball action from Saturday
MEN’S BASKETBALL
USA 104, PUERTO RICO 83
Unsurprisingly, the United States has gotten through the men’s Olympic group stage unscratched, staying perfect after a 104-83 win over Puerto Rico on Saturday.
The superstar-laden USA (3-0) squad let Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards’ star shine brightest as he finished with a game-high 26 points on 11 of 15 from the field along with three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Big man Joel Embiid followed it up with 15 points, while LeBron James added 10 points, six rebounds and eight assists and Anthony Davis had 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
Overall, eight Americans notched point tallies of eight or more to fuel the team’s world-beating offence in yet another rout.
Puerto Rico (0-3) certainly didn’t show any quit though, as New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado led the way with 18 points while forward Ismael Romero picked up a 12-point, 10-assist double-double.
The island territory even had an eight-point lead in the first quarter, but it quickly got out of hand and the U.S. was up 19 points come half-time. That lead ballooned all the way up to a 31-point lead and a mountain too big for the Puerto Ricans to climb.
The win secured the Americans’ No. 1 seed going into the knockout stage and eliminated Puerto Rico from the Olympics.
SERBIA 96, SOUTH SUDAN 85
The most intriguing story at this year’s Olympic basketball tournament has come to an end.
Serbia (2-1) beat fan favourite South Sudan 96-85 on Saturday to secure its spot in the knockout stage and officially eliminate the African nation from the competition.
Bogdan Bogdanovic was simply too hot from range, as the Hawks sharpshooter finished with 30 points on 10-of-14 from the field and 6-of-9 from three-point range. He also picked up four rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks.
Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was his usual steady self, finishing with 22 points on 7-of-9 from the field and had 13 rebounds and four assists. Charlotte Hornets guard Vasilije Micić added 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to secure the win.
South Sudan (1-2) staged a near upset over the USA in the pre-tournament tune-up games and quickly became a fan favourite in France, with many rooting heavily for the tournament underdogs.
It opened up its debut Olympic run with a win over Puerto Rico but was unable to replicate that success against the powerhouse USA and FIBA World Cup runner-ups Serbia.
Carlik Jones, who certainly made a name for himself on this stage, finished with 17 points, five rebounds and 10 assists while Ottawa native Marial Shayok had 17 points and five makes from three-point range.
Serbia now heads to the knockout stage for a matchup against Australia, who finished its run in Group A with a 1-2 record.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
CHINA 80, PUERTO RICO 58
It’s been a brutal go so far at the Olympics for China, but a much-needed result went its way on Saturday.
China, the FIBA world No. 2-ranked team, finished off its group stage matches with a big 80-58 win over Puerto Rico.
Washington Mystics guard Li Meng led the way for China (1-2) with 18 points on 3-of-8 from three-point range. She also tacked on five rebounds and seven assists and led the way with a team-high +18 plus-minus.
Meanwhile, the centre tandem of Li Yueru of the Los Angeles Sparks and Han Xu, formerly of the New York Liberty, dominated inside with both picking up near-double-doubles.
On the other side, Puerto Rico (0-3) was led by Arella Guirantes who had 20 points, four rebounds and two assists, but struggled mightily with efficiency, finishing with 6-of-23 from the field for 26.1 per cent.
As a whole, Puerto Rico struggled the get the ball in the basket as it finished a brutal 22-of-70 (31.4 per cent) from the field and 5-of-26 from three-point range (19.2 per cent). Even free throws didn’t come easily as the team shot 9-of-20 from the charity stripe.
Puerto Rico was eliminated from the Olympics with this result and China will await the outcomes of games from the other two groups, but set itself up well to qualify for the knockouts by cutting its overall plus-minus to only -1.
SPAIN 70, SERBIA 62
In the upcoming men’s basketball quarterfinals at the Olympics, Canada is set to take on France in what promises to be an exciting and competitive match-up. Both teams have had strong showings in the tournament so far, with Canada finishing at the top of their group and France securing a spot in the quarterfinals with a solid performance in the group stage.
Canada, led by NBA star Andrew Wiggins, has been a force to be reckoned with in the tournament. Their high-powered offense and strong defense have allowed them to dominate their opponents and secure wins in the group stage. With players like RJ Barrett and Cory Joseph also making significant contributions, Canada is a team that should not be underestimated.
On the other hand, France boasts a talented roster of their own, including NBA players like Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier. Their strong defense and efficient offense have helped them secure wins against tough opponents in the group stage. With players like Nando De Colo and Nicolas Batum also stepping up when needed, France is a team that is capable of giving Canada a run for their money.
The match-up between Canada and France promises to be a thrilling one, with both teams vying for a spot in the semifinals. The winner of this game will move one step closer to Olympic glory, while the loser will have to settle for a lower placement in the tournament. Fans can expect a high-intensity game filled with fast-paced action, impressive plays, and fierce competition.
Overall, the men’s basketball quarterfinals between Canada and France is shaping up to be a must-watch event for basketball fans around the world. With two talented teams facing off against each other, anything can happen on the court. It will be interesting to see which team will come out on top and advance to the next round of the tournament.