Canada outlasts Australia in Olympic men's basketball game

Canadians use strong second half to get by the Aussies in Group A play

Jul 27, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Canada guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball against Greece in the first quarter during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Canadian men’s national coach Jordi Fernandez must feel pretty comfortable with his closing lineup after it finished off a pair of close victories to start the 2024 Paris Games.

Led by RJ Barrett and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada overwhelmed a veteran Australia squad in the second half of Tuesday’s matchup from Group A play, as clutch baskets down the stretch fueled a 93-83 win for the Canadians and sole possession of first place in the group standings.

The 10-point margin might seem inflated based on how the first three quarters played out at Pierre Mauroy Stadium. The Aussies led for a majority of the first half just off their size in the frontcourt alone, as Jock Landale dominated the interior against Canada’s bigs. Josh Giddey, coming off a standout performance in his Olympic debut a few days ago, continued to do a little bit of everything to keep the Boomers’ offense afloat.

Australia shot 57% from the floor in the first half, including 15-of-18 on attempts in the paint, and led by four points at the break after Giddey got a score inside to go in the final seconds of the second quarter. Even by the slimmest of margins, the Aussies had control of the pace and the lead throughout — they were in front for 13:12 in the first half, while the Canadians had a lead for just 2:19. Yet everything seemed up for grabs heading into the second half.

Fernandez leaned heavily on his guards to create some sort of spark, as he often trotted out three or four guards out at once to combat Australia’s size. That seemed to work out in Canada’s favor in the third quarter, as Gilegous-Alexander knocked down a jumper, followed by a 3-pointer from Barrett, to put the Canadians out in front. With former Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard on the floor, Canada’s offense was in the hands of three primary ballhandlers who could create and set the table for others.

Barrett and Gilgeous-Alexander fueled a 14-2 scoring run that put their team ahead 66-56 late in the third quarter, but the Aussies were not out of the fight yet. Three-straight scores in the painted area, followed by back-to-back triples from Jack McVeigh, had Australia riding a 14-6 scoring spurt of its own heading into the fourth quarter.

Clinching to a 72-70 lead, it was time for Canada’s closers to step up to the plate. Gilgeous-Alexander got things going with a tough midrange jumper followed by an impressive block on McVeigh on the other end. Dillon Brooks converted on a jumper of his own to push the lead to six, just before a 3-pointer from Barrett off a dish from Jamal Murray put the Canadians out in front 81-72 with just over five minutes remaining.

While the offense hummed, Canada’s defense came to play down the stretch as well. Australia couldn’t find the bottom of the basket for over three and a half minutes as turnovers began to cause issues. The Boomers hadn’t committed a mistake in the first quarter, though they ended the game with 18 turnovers.

Barrett finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Gilgeous-Alexander had 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor. Nembhard tallied five points, four rebounds and one assist in 23 minutes; former Zag Kelly Olynyk played less than five minutes.

After outscoring Australia by 14 points in the second half, Canada advanced to 2-0 in group play with a matchup against Spain set for Aug. 2.