Canada continues to look the part of a legitimate contender at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and versatile Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks continues to be one of the big reasons.
Brooks is one of a handful of established NBA players on Canada’s roster, joining Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; New York’s RJ Barrett; Utah’s Kelly Olynyk; Minnesota’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker; and Dallas’ Dwight Powell.
On Sunday in Jakarta, Indonesia, none of those big names played major minutes as Canada cruised, 128-73 (box score). Two days after crushing France in an unexpected blowout, Canada built on that momentum and didn’t take a lesser opponent for granted.
One reason was Brooks, who is setting a tone with tenacious wing defense, energy and leadership. In just over 20 minutes played, Brooks had 11 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals on 4-of-5 shooting (80%), including a perfect 2-of-2 on 3-pointers. Most notably, in those limited minutes, Canada was plus-32 with Brooks on the floor.
Here’s a look at some of Brooks’ highlights, along with reaction to his play from media members and fans watching the game.