Canada’s “Core 14” defeats Dominican Republic in FIBA ​​World Cup qualifying

Hamilton — Overall success. It wasn’t perfect, but the new iteration of Canada’s senior men’s national team was more than just getting the job done against the Dominican Republic in the World Cup qualifiers on Friday night.

They hit the visitor 95-75 with a win that had bumps early on, but in the end everyone was hoping to get in: supported by sophisticated professionals elsewhere in the lineup. The elite NBA talented team handles tough for everyone.

Canada is led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who helped Oklahoma City Thunderstar blow the team in the fourth quarter with 15 points, surpassing all scorers with 32 points, adding five rebounds and five assists. Did. His cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker of Utah Jazz added 17 points, and Kelly Olynyk of Detroit Pistons added 17 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Dallas Mavericks Big Man Dwight Powell scored 9 points with a 4-5 shot, added 6 rebounds and provided Canadian guards with an endless ball screen.

This victory put Canada 5-0 in Group C play on the first stage of qualifying. They will complete the stage on Monday and play in the last Virgin Islands of the group. Whatever the outcome there, Canada won 48 without benefiting from the NBA’s talent when playing in February. Canada is guaranteed to advance to the second stage and can advance to the FIBA ​​world, except for a sudden shift in fate. Filipino and Japanese basketball cups.

However, the result was somehow secondary, as the game was the first test of a senior men’s team’s plan to establish a summer core for 14 players. The plan promises to play in Canada this summer and the next two years to build unity on their path hoping to be their first Olympic appearance since the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Includes their top talent.

When Canada announced the starting members, the difference was clear before the ball went up — featuring four NBAers to please a crowd of about 6,000 sold-out lower bowls at the First Ontario Center in Hamilton, Ontario. .. No one received as much cheers as Gilgeous Alexander, who played high school basketball in the city before leaving for America.

Sure, there were more NBA players in bench watching in Canada (not all members of the Summer Core were able to play this summer, but as part of their commitment, some training camps and team events. (It is expected to be) Not in their lineup.

The difference was shown early on. After a sloppy start in Canada, they slam dunk with a 7-0 spurious featuring a putback by Olynyk, a spectacular block of dunk shoots by Kyle Alexander, a European pro with NBA experience. Got the first separation from the DR team. Free throws by Gilgeous-Alexander and 3. by Alexander-Walker. Another triple at the buzzer by Alexander Walker, who scored nine points in the quarter, gave Canada a 21-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Visitors continued to push, leading 31-30 at 5:48 to play half, drawing the match at 3:09 35-35 and buzzer before Canada finished 11-1 run. Gilgeous-Alexander before the team jogging in their dressing rooms.

Canada’s talent dominance began to be more clearly demonstrated in the third quarter. The first Olynyk and Powell combined several high and low pass plays to bring Powell’s dunk shot. After that, Gilgeous-Alexander began to do what he was best at in the NBA. With less dribbling and longer strides, I put the ball in the paint and finished or drew the foul. Warmed up enough, he stepped into the triple at the transition, extending Canada’s lead to 21 and leaving 2:57 in third place. Two more triples by Alexander raised Canada to 28 later in the period as Canada led 76-48 to start the fourth quarter.

Since then, Canada has not been seriously threatened, and the highlight of this period was Zach Edey, a 7-foot-4 student at Purdue University, the only college student nominated for Canada’s summer core. It was when I sneaked in to make the team’s debut. Of the crowd that was straight behind the big man born in Toronto. At the age of 20, he made two free throws at the first point with his senior team and got on the board.