Anthony Edwards vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Which NBA Star Will Lead His Nation to Third Place in the FIBA World Cup?

NBA superstars Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will face off for third place in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Team USA and Canada had the opportunity to face each other for the World Cup. However, both teams shockingly slipped up in the Semi-Final despite their star-studded lineup. Now, they will look to put the upset defeats behind them and show what they are made of in the upcoming game. As Edwards and Gilgeous-Alexander get ready for the matchup, which star will come out on top?

Edwards and Gilgeous-Alexander are not only leaders but they have also been the most consistent performers for their teams in the tournament.

Anthony Edwards vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Team USA won 5 of 6 games to reach the Semi-Final of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Anthony Edwards was a major reason behind the team’s success in the tournament. He is leading the team in points with 18.1 per game and comes in second in rebounds with 4.6 per game. Even in their first defeat against Lithuania, the Minnesota Timberwolves star erupted for 35 points.

Similarly, in their Semi-Final loss to Germany, he had 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists as per FIBA. However, it was not enough to help his team get the win. Despite being very efficient from inside the arc making 8 of 9, he struggled from the 3-point territory going 2 of 8.

Similarly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the driving force behind Canada. Notably, the Oklahoma City Thunder star leads his team in points, rebounds, and assists showing his dominance.

According to stats from FIBA, he is averaging 23.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Once again, similar to Edwards, Gilgeous-Alexander helped his team reach the Semi-Final by winning 5 of 6 games.

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In the loss against Serbia, Gilgeous-Alexander lost some early minutes because of foul trouble.?Even though he still played around 34 minutes, he could not gain momentum and the team could not catch up to Serbia.

USA vs. Canada: A new rivalry

Team USA is one of the most dominant teams in basketball with five World Cups to their name. After not winning the title in the last iteration, they were expected to win it all this year. Unfortunately they will now look to clinch at least the third spot against neighbors Canada.

On the other hand, Canada has never won a medal in the FIBA World Cup. The last time Canada won a medal in basketball was in 1936 when they clinched Silver in the Olympics. This will be the first time Team USA and Canada will fight for a medal which could pave the way for the start of a new rivalry given Canada’s continuous improvement.

At the forefront of tomorrow’s battle for the Bronze medal would be Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Notably, both stars will also be fighting for the MVP award. Furthermore, with the reputation of Dillon Brooks, the game will be no short feisty encounters.

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