Rockets' Dillon Brooks Shines in Canada's First Olympic Victory

The Rockets forward thrived for Canada in their first Olympic victory since 2000.

Jul 27, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Canada small forward Dillon Brooks (24) shoots against Greece centre Georgios Papagiannis (14) 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

Canada's men's basketball team hasn't had an Olympic victory since the games were played in Sydney in 2000. They hadn't even made the tournament since then. Last summer in the Philippines, the team came away with a bronze medal and a bid to the tournament.

Now, Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks has a chance to represent Canada in the Olympics, as he played a part in the country earning the bid in the World Cup a year ago.

In the team's first contest in the tournament, Canada downed Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece 86-79, earning big help from the Rockets forward. Brooks posted 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting, knocking down three of his four 3-pointers attempted. He added six rebounds, one assist and one steal in his 24 minutes logged in the game.

Brooks was solid in the close win, and he put up his numbers efficiently as some foul trouble kept him off the floor late in the game. He's going to have to continue to be a solid three-and-D player -- providing solid two-way play if Canada wants to make a deep run in the Olympics. They've got Australia and Spain ahead of them in Group A, which happened to be a tough draw.

The Rockets forward is an elite defender and pest, as he proved by making life difficult for Antetokounmpo. While he did eventually foul out, Brooks proved that when he's capable of playing heavy minutes, Canada can have one of the strongest defenses in the Olympics.

Brooks has made a name for himself using his grittiness and pest abilities to bother star players while providing stout defense and even floor spacing. Watching the Rocket translate his NBA game to the global scale is a sight to see for Houston fans, who will see Brooks return in a Rockets uniform next season.

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