Former Knicks Guard Shines as Canada Beats Australia

One-time New York Knicks forward RJ Barrett scored 24 points as Canada beat Australia at the Paris Olympics.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 30, 2024

Jul 27, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Canada small forward Rj Barrett (9) shoots against Greece in the second half 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

In this story:

New York Knicks

New York Knicks fans might be pleased with the results from early action at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday morning as Canada pulled out a 93-83 win against Australia in Lille.

Former Knicks forward RJ Barrett, who was traded to his hometown Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby on Dec. 30 of last year, scored a game-high 24 points for Canada in the win. Barrett went 8 of 14 from the field and made three of his six 3-point attempts in the win.

The game was fairly even on both sides during the first half, with neither side taking a massive lead. No lead was more than five points during the first two quarters, which set up an exciting second half. From there, Canada began to pull ahead thanks to Barrett's heroics. He scored 13 of his 24 points in the third quarter, which saw Canada take control of the game. However, more work had to be done in the fourth to seal the victory.

Canada held Australia to just 13 points in the fourth quarter, which ultimately led them to a resounding victory.

For Australia, Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey led the way with 19 points while Houston Rockets center Jock Landale (16 points), Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (15 points) and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (10 points), joined him in double figures.

While Barrett led the way with 24 points, Houston Rockets guard Dillon Brooks had 16 of his own with Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort had 16 and 11, respectively.

The win puts Canada at 2-0 and guarantees their spot at the top of Group A. Since they beat both Spain and Australia and neither can catch them in the standings for the group, Canada will win Group A before the final game is played. This will allow them to rest some of their players before the knockout stage of the tournament begins.

Canada plays Greece on Friday while Australia and Spain go head-to-head to determine who finishes in second place in Group A.

Make sure you bookmark New York Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Jul 30, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.