It wasn’t a championship match but Canada and the United States engaged in an exciting and tight game that needed an extra five minutes to settle.
The Canadians repulsed the undermanned but pesky Americans in overtime, 127-118, in the battle for third for their first-ever FIBA Basketball World Cup podium finish on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Canada, which took on a nine-man US side missing Paulo Banchero, Brandon Ingram and Jarren Jackson Jr. due to unspecified illnesses, outscored the US, 16-7, in OT with Dillon Brooks icing the game with two foul shots in the final 20 seconds.
Brooks finished with 39 points off 12-of-18 field goal shooting. The Houston Rockets forward also had five assists and four rebounds for Canada.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted a double-double of 31 points and 12 assists while RJ Barrett, who struck the dagger trey to push Canada’s lead to 124-115 in the last 44 seconds of overtime, and Kelly Olynyk had 23 and 11 markers, respectively.
Mikal Bridges forced the extension after knocking down a fade-away triple from the right corner after collaring the rebound off his own missed freethrow with 0.6 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 111. Olynyk got a good look for Canada but his long three bounced off the rim as time expired.
The Americans for the second straight World Cup ended their campaign empty-handed, dropping back-to-back games including a sorry semifinal loss to Germany.
Championship round first-timer Germany is playing favored Serbia for the title as of press time.
Anthony Edwards led the US with 24 points while Austin Reaves finished with 23 and Bridges had 19 points.
The Americans erased Canada’s 10-point advantage, 94-84, with 12 unanswered points for a 96-94 lead after an Anthony Edwards step-back jumper with 6:23 left before the game turned into a nip-and-tuck affair.
Meanwhile, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis expressed gratitude for the Philippines’ excellent hosting of the world’s biggest basketball spectacle.
“Manila has been an excellent host. I don’t think it’s easy to find anywhere else in the world with this kind of level of service to the visitors,” Zagklis said in a press conference before the battle for third tip off.
“Always with a smile, always with kindness, always with solution-oriented approach. I can only express how grateful FIBA is to the Philippines. From the top of the government, the head of state, who received a few months ago and he came very often in the game as you know.”
Canada stepped on the gas pedal at the get-go with Brooks heating up early. The Canadians looked poised to turn the game into a one-sided affair after Melvin Ejim connected an outside shot to push their lead to 34-21 with 1:40 left in the first period.
But the Americans mounted a telling 19-2 rally bridging the closing moments of the opening quarter until 7:23 in the second to take a 40-36 lead after Bobby Portis Jr. sank both his free throws.
Brooks brought Canada back on top before halftime, 58-56, as he headed back to the locker with 21 points in the first half highlighted by a perfect 6-of-6 three-point shooting.
