Canada Looks to Clinch World Cup Bronze Against Anthony Edwards & The Americans

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Canadians will look to return home with a medal if they can pull off the upset of Anthony Edwards and the United States

OK, so a bronze medal game between Canada and the United States was not exactly what everyone had hoped for when the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup tipped off.

But here we are.

The Canadian Senior Men’s National Basketball team has a chance to come home with its first World Cup medal in program history early Sunday morning when the third-place game tips off in Manila. It’ll be a battle for North American supremacy with the Americans who enter as 6.5-point favorites, looking to bounce back from their narrow loss to Germany.

Canada will certainly have the best player on the court with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way. He musted just 15 points in the loss to Serbia as he battled foul trouble for much of the game.

The Americans, though, are loaded with talent at virtually every position. Anthony Edwards leads the way, averaging 18.1 points per game. Mikal Bridges has been incredible at both ends for the United States. Austin Reeves, meanwhile, continues to show he’s among the world’s most talented young players in this tournament.

It could, once again, come down to Canada’s ability to stay out of foul trouble and lean on its starters. Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, and Dillon Brooks have been the difference-makers throughout this tournament, and it’s been the bench that’s cost Canada at times. Considering the depth of this United States roster, Canada can’t afford to let its second unit decide the game.

Regardless of the outcome, Canada will have set a new program high at the World Cup and has clinched a berth in the Olympics. Now, it’s just about bragging rights, a third-place finish, and a chance to know off a southern foe.