After a 24-year hiatus, Canada triumphantly returned to the Olympic basketball stage, defeating Greece 86-79 in their opening game at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France. Despite a formidable 34-point performance by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece couldn’t overcome Canada’s deeper team around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in what proved to be an exhilarating matchup on the opening day of men’s basketball competition at the Paris Olympics. 

Canada started strong, dominating the first half and building a 16-point lead early in the second half. However, Greece, led by Antetokounmpo, clawed back to within single digits by the end of the third quarter. The Greek team capitalized on Canada’s foul troubles, with Luguentz Dort, Dwight Powell, and Dillon Brooks fouling out before the end of regulation. 

In the last minute, Antetokounmpo’s dunk brought Greece within two points, but Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a crucial runner to extend the lead to 82-78. Following a missed free throw by Antetokounmpo, Jamal Murray sealed the victory for Canada with two free throws in the final seconds.

Plenty of factors contributed to Canada’s victory, including the dynamic overall contributions of RJ Barrett and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which proved historic compared to the program’s past.

RJ Barrett and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made history as Canada’s dynamic duo

RJ Barrett led Canada with 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, continuing the Olympic legacy of his father, Rowan Barrett, who competed in the 2000 Olympics. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. who contributed 21 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, joined RJ Barrett as the third Canadian teammates to score 20+ points in their Olympic debut, the first since Rowan Barrett and Michael Meeks in 2000.

Reflecting on his father’s legacy, Barrett said when speaking to reporters after the game, “It’s an honor to represent Canada at the Olympics, just like my dad did. I’m proud to carry on the tradition and help our team succeed.” 

Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance was particularly notable, displaying frequent tough shot-making ability and talent attacking the paint, picking apart Greece’s defense, and delivering crucial plays in clutch time. Free throws proved a decisive factor, with Greece missing eight compared to Canada’s four misses. Both teams shot 32 free throws, the highest combined total since the USA faced Spain in 2012. 

Canada HC Jordi Fernandez emphasized how both teams shot the same volume of free throws, but his team’s accuracy was a difference maker. “Both teams shot the same amount of free throws. We shot a little bit better, which I think at the end of the day is how we won the game,”

Additionally, Fernandez highlighted the team’s overall defensive effort, saying, “Our ball pressure was really good, and we were running and moving well. It’s all about maintaining that intensity throughout the game.” 

The collective defensive effort was a difference-maker, particularly in the first half, in disrupting Greece’s offense.

Greece struggled against Canada’s ball pressure led by Luguentz Dort

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 34 points were the second-highest by a player in their Olympic debut, behind Luka Doncic’s 48 points in 2021. “Giannis was really good tonight,” Spanoulis emphasized. While the “Greek Freak” made history, the rest of the time didn’t bring the same level of play as they had when they battled through the pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Piraeus.

When any team faces Canada, it doesn’t take long to notice how disruptive the tenacious on-ball defenders can be to an offense. Whether it’s Luguentz Dort using his big frame and physically frustrating the initiator or Dillon Brooks embracing the most challenging defensive assignment and making it as difficult as possible before the catch and throughout a possession, Canada plays a hard-nosed defensive style.

With rim protector Zach Edey, who stands at 7-foot-4, not competing this time after being selected in the NBA Draft Lottery by the Memphis Grizzlies, there isn’t rim protection on the backline, requiring a more assertive on-ball defensive presence.

Canada coach Jordi Fernandez highlighted the importance of ball pressure and praised his team’s resilience. “I give credit to our guys; they fought, they found a way, and whoever was the next guy was ready,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez also pointed out Dort’s pivotal role, as he made significant contributions, which were highlighted by what he provided the team’s defense despite fouling out. “Lu Dort was plus-26, and he did an amazing job and made a big shot that helped us win the game. I’m happy with the win. We know that we can be better. We can play better throughout 40 minutes,” Fernandez added.

Spanoulis felt ball pressure early in the game, particularly from Dort, which took Greece out of its element before it took too long to adjust. “We started the game a bit under pressure, and I don’t understand why. The players know that,” Spanoulis explained. It took us one half to understand that we have to play Greek basketball, our basketball, to show our character. But this half that we missed was a lot.”

This occurred despite the Hellas entering the game with a clear understanding of the importance of avoiding allowing Dort to disrupt the ball, so the team sought to set early ball screens. “We tried to set a lot of picks, we tried to set a lot of early picks to avoid the pressure, to carry the ball with the guy not guarded by Dort because he’s really good in pressuring the ball,” Spanoulis detailed. 

Not only does Canada not have Edey this time, but without Andrew Wiggins, who allegedly could not play because of the Golden State Warriors, Canada lacks perimeter size at times. It didn’t matter against Greece as Canada entered the match with a rational plan of attack and didn’t deviate from it.

Canada stayed poised by sticking to the game plan

While Greece admittedly didn’t develop a game plan discipline soon enough in this game, again, Canada’s players trusted that results would follow if they did. This was the case despite trying to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo’s historic performance.

RJ Barrett praised Canada’s collective effort in containing Antetokounmpo just enough to achieve victory, given it’s no straightforward task against one of the world’s most dominant talents. “That’s why you have the word team. It’s not one guy. All of us, all together, everybody’s got their part to do,” Barrett explained.

Regardless of which defender guarded Antetokounmpo, the group collectively understood that defensive rotations needed to be timely and on point. “Guarding Giannis is not an easy task; Dillon, Lu, and Dwight tried their best. You put pressure on him all game long, and it’s not an easy task. It’s a team, it’s all of us. We did our job today.” 

Gilgeous-Alexander stressed the importance of sticking to the game plan amid Greece’s comeback attempts. “They are not gonna quit obviously, and we expected that,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We expected them to make their run.”

The NBA MVP finalist provided necessary poise for Canada as he brought a calming presence to the half-court offense and picked apart Greece’s defense.“For us, it was just about weathering the storms, kinda sticking to the game plan throughout the ups and downs,” Gilgeous-Alexander concluded.

That trust paid off. Canada’s victory over Greece marked their return to the Olympics and highlighted the team’s potential to be a strong contender. Canada appears poised to make significant strides in its Olympic journey.

How far do you think Canada will advance in the Paris Olympics? Will they reach the gold medal game? Let us know in the comments below.