By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Jakarta, Indonesia – Storming back from a 12-point deficit, Brazil dominates crunch time to earn the win, 69-65, over Canada in Indonesia Arena Friday.
Bruno Caboclo posted a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double. But Yago dos Santos, besides dishing out a game-high ten assists, poured in four of his eight points to break a tie at 60-60. Eventually going up by six points with ten seconds left on the clock, Brazil sealed the deal, matching Canada at 3-1 and stretching a four-way tie across Group L, including Latvia and Spain.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with a game-high 23 points was not enough to keep Canada undefeated in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. After missing the two previous games of the tournament, Lu Dort ended up with 17 points in the losing effort.
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Canada was up 52 – 40 near the end of the third period and many would probably think that it was over at that moment. Brazil though scored 13 unanswered points to not only catch up but go up in the score and turn the game into a close combat. From that moment onward, both teams were trading blows in an exciting finale.
Caboclo made it 59 – 60 from Brazil with 2:08 remaining as the game turned quite physical for both teams on both ends. Dort went 1/2 to tie the score and, on the other end, dos Santos beat the entire Canada defense to score for the last lead change of the game.
Brazil had begun the game in a quite competitive fashion to lead 13 – 16 at the end of the first period. Canada though turned its engines on and greatly improved its defense to go ahead 37 – 27 at halftime.
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