It wasn’t a must-win, but for a team with big goals and a shaky history, an encouraging start would surely be welcomed — if only to keep the doubts at bay and let the good feelings start to take root and grow.
Mission accomplished, even if the real job is just getting started.
Canada’s 97-91 win Tuesday over Greece was workman-like and tense — and a 12-6 run by its opponent in the final four minutes kept it that way – but filled with plenty of evidence that they will be able to control of their own destiny in this track meet of a tournament.
The Canadians started slowly but weren’t fazed, as they pulled away the cobwebs and found some flow as the game went on.
“I think first and foremost for us we knew it was going to be a big learning experience and our first game together with this team against a very, very, good team,” said Canadian head coach Nick Nurse. “We saw their rhythm, experience, execution on display at a high level. I thought we did well to hang in there for the first half because they were playing very well and shooting very well. Guys did a great job of hanging in, making some adjustments. Thought our effort was really solid and certainly happy with the result, no doubt, but most happy that we kind of learned a lot about who we are and where we're going next.”
The win is just a prelude to the games that really count – sudden-death semifinal and finals Saturday and Sunday, respectively, with wins in both necessary to advance to the Olympics in Tokyo. But Canada was able to work out some gremlins against a quality opponent and will have another chance to smooth things out against China on Wednesday night before the elimination round.
A win there would assure Canada a 2-0 record in Group A play, setting them up for a semifinal against the second-place team in Group B.
On opening night, the pre-tournament favourites played the part.
"We have a lot of guys that can contribute to winning basketball, that teams have to worry about,” said Andrew Wiggins, the Golden State Warriors wing who didn’t disappoint in his first game for Canada in six seasons. “It’s not just a few, there’s a lot of guys that can go out there and do damage.”
Wiggins scored 14 of his 23 points in the second half, including a pair of crucial contested jumpers in late in the game after Greece cut what had been a 12-point lead to five with 2:13 to play.
“He is Andrew Wiggins and we knew that,” said Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the New Orleans Pelicans guard who provided his own share of big moments. “This is why everyone wants him to play on the national team because he does things like that.”
RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks also made himself heard with 19 second-half points after contributing just three in 12 first-half minutes. It was Barrett’s free throws with 34 seconds left that kept Greece at bay. Alexander-Walker scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half when Canada’s offence was stagnant and needed a burst.
The home team shot 55 per cent from the floor and 10-of-27 from deep, but counted 17 turnovers leading to 21 points for Greece. Canada held the visitors to 49 per cent from the floor and – crucially – just 2-of-13 from three in the second half.
That defensive effort helped to turn the game in a pivotal third quarter as Canada flipped the game’s momentum on its head. After trailing nearly every minute of the first half, it was Wiggins who led the second-half charge. He signalled his intentions by pushing into the paint for an offensive rebound and put-back early in the third quarter; set up a fast-break dunk by Barrett with a deflection on defence and then gave Canada its first lead since the early moments of the game with a triple. He had eight points in the quarter and Canada was able to take a 74-71 lead into the final period.
“In that first quarter I felt like I was a little sloppy,” said Wiggins. “It was the first time I’ve played since Golden State, since the NBA, so I feel like in the second quarter and as the game went on I got a good feel for it and we were just hooping.”
It took a while.
Greece led Canada 50-48 at the half, looking for long stretches like the more organized, cohesive team.
Canada’s bright spot in the early going was Alexander-Walker, who was the difference in the first half coming off the bench to spell Cory Joseph which was crucial as Canada struggled early. The six-foot-five, second-year guard warmed up from three and began to show his ability to get downhill and wiggle to the rim, particularly against bigger Greek defenders when they switched on to him defensively on pick-and-rolls.
“He kind of came into camp with an ultra-aggressive mindset,” said Nurse. “He played a lot like that in our scrimmages and intrasquad practice time. I kept encouraging him. I said, ‘You’re gonna see a lot of switches. When you get it, do your thing. Stay aggressive. We’ll figure out the rest later if it doesn’t work.’
“But that’s him. He came with that (mindset) and I just wanted to encourage him to keep doing it. It really was a big spark for us. It was part of us being able to hang in in the first half.”
He exploded for 14 points in the first five minutes of the second quarter that allowed Canada to stay in reach – it was his basket that tied the score 35-35 at the six-minute mark — even as it was getting only limited contributions elsewhere. Alexander-Walker was the only Canadian in double figures through the first 20 minutes.
Greece, in comparison, had eight players with at least two field goals made.
A three by Nick Calathes – Greece’s eighth of the first half – with two minutes to play in the second quarter pushed its lead to eight, but there were some signs the rust was beginning to shake loose off.
Canada otherwise held Greece to just seven points in the final five minutes of the second quarter. A pair of threes by Trey Lyles and Luguentz Dort allowed Canada to head to the locker room down 50-48. Not ideal, but tolerable, given Canada trailed 23-19 after the first quarter.
Canada’s starters were Barrett, Joseph (six assists), Wiggins, Lyles and Dwight Powell (12 points, seven rebounds including five on the offensive glass). First off the bench was Andrew Nicholson for Powell and Dort for Wiggins, with Alexander-Walker eventually coming in for Joseph at point guard.
The first quarter was typified by Wiggins with a couple of sloppy early turnovers before he got out on the break to finish an alley-oop. Canada could have used more transition chances, but they were few and far between early on as Greece milked each possession to the end of the shot clock to slow the pace and keep the game in the half court as much as possible.
It wasn’t always pretty, but Canada took an important first step. It’s start.
“We’ve come a long way, and we’ve got a long way to go,” said Nurse. “There’s a lot of polishing that needs to be done. I’m not really looking where our ceiling is right now. I’m just going to zero in on where our ceiling can be 24 hours from now.”
