After a pair of blowouts in the first set of quarterfinals a day earlier, Wednesday provided plenty of fireworks at the FIBA World Cup.
Germany eked out a win over the surprising Latvians to set up a showdown with the U.S. in one semifinal while Canada downed Latvia to advance to a semifinal against Serbia.
Here’s everything you need to know from Wednesday’s action:
Results
Germany def. Latvia 81-79
Canada def. Slovenia 100-89
Main Talking Points
Germany ends Latvia’s impressive run
Germany kept its hopes of a podium finish alive in dramatic fashion, surviving a missed three-point attempt at the buzzer by Davis Bertans to come away with an 81-79 victory.
In wins over both reigning Olympic silver medallist France and defending World Cup champion Spain, Latvia showed it had arguably the best three-point shooting in the competition.
This quarterfinal presented a huge challenge in Germany, the only undefeated team entering the final eight. New Toronto Raptors point guard Dennis Schroder had an excellent tournament coming into this game but struggled badly against the Latvians, finishing with nine points on just 4-of-26 shooting, including 0-of-8 on threes.
Helping the Germans overcome an off-night for their best player thus far were the Wagner brothers — Franz returning from injury to finish with 16 points and eight rebounds while Mo had 12 points. Franz’s return, especially, will be crucial in the semis against the U.S.
While Germany’s starting point guard struggled, Latvia guard Arturs Zagars was sensational with 24 points and eight assists, consistently penetrating a Germany defence that has been stellar throughout the tournament while also keeping things honest from the outside with four three-pointers.
While Bertans may have missed the final shot of the game, he was impressive throughout with 20 points that included six makes from deep.
Gilgeous-Alexander outduels Doncic as Canada nears podium finish
In a matchup that was billed as a battle between NBA superstars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, it was the Canadian who came out on top with 31 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field as well as 14-of-16 shooting at the free-throw line. He also threw in 10 rebounds and four assists for good measure.
Gilgeous-Alexander has paced himself throughout the tournament and been especially impactful in the second half of games, but wasted no time in this one with eight first-quarter points using an array of moves to command the mid-range.
After a first half that ended tied and saw 18 lead changes, Canada took charge in the third quarter in what has been a theme over the course of the tournament. Slovenia’s three-point shooting cooled off just enough after making 10 in the first half, with Canada’s run-and-gun style taking its toll as the red and white pushed the lead to as much as 16.
Doncic was a major threat until he was ejected in the middle of the fourth quarter for repeatedly jawing at the officials. He finished with 26 points on 8-of-20 shooting to go along with four rebounds and five assists. Dillon Brooks did a phenomenal job being a problem all game. He knocked down some big three-pointers, but was ejected a bit before Doncic for trash talking after a triple.
RJ Barrett, who has had his share of struggles in the tournament, was terrific in support of Gilgeous-Alexander, finishing with 21 points and nine rebounds.
Canada is now guaranteed to play for a medal at the World Cup for the first time in history, having never placed better than sixth (1982) previously.
Play of the Day
Barrett was relentless in attacking the basket against Slovenia, none better than this driving dunk in the first half.
Moment of the Day
Despite a game to forget, Schroder’s teammates showered him with love when the final buzzer sounded.
Quotes of the Day
“All I wanna say is that I’m extremely proud of this team, battling every single game. I think we put ourselves in a position to win, not because of any individual players but because we play like a team, we play the right way, and unfortunately couldn’t get it done at the end.”
— Davis Bertans, Latvia player
“Everybody sees Shai’s points, which is good, he’s really good. But, he led the game in rebounding, I believe, he grabbed 10 rebounds and had four assists to one turnover and he was 8-for-12 from the field. He dominated playmaking, scoring, and finishing possessions or offensive rebounds. He also led our team in offensive rebounds so I think that’s even more impressive.”
— Jordi Fernandez, Canada coach
“I think Dillon (Brooks) played great, he was very physical like he always does. A lot of people don’t like him but I respect him for what he does and he does that stuff really good.”
— Luka Doncic, Slovenia player
Three Stars of the Day
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) – 31 points, 10 rebounds, four assists.
2. Arturs Zagars (Latvia) – 24 points, eight assists, 4-of-8 three-pointers.
3. Luka Doncic (Slovenia) – 26 points, four rebounds, five assists.
Looking Ahead
Canada will play a men’s FIBA World Cup semifinal for the first time in its history, at 4:45 a.m. ET on Friday against a Serbia team missing two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic.
Germany, the only undefeated team remaining in the tournament, will take on the mighty U.S. at 8:40 a.m. ET on Friday in what should be a thrilling semifinal.
Both games are on Sportsnet and SN Now.
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