Tag: Canada

Should OKC Thunder fans root for Team USA or France?

Should OKC Thunder fans root for Team USA or France?

As the international tournament dwindles to two teams, the 2024 Olympics will conclude with a gold medal winner between either Team USA or France.

Canada failed to reach this stage after an upset loss to France in the quarterfinals. Its struggles to score outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led to its downfall.

Oklahoma City Thunder fans were likely split in their allegiances throughout the summer. Sure, most who lived locally likely cheered on the USA for obvious reasons, but Canada became the unofficial second squad to root for.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort were starters for Canada. Both have been fixtures in OKC since 2019. It’s only normal for Thunder fans to root for their neighbors up north.

Considering the USA and Canada never matched up in group play and were on opposite sides of the bracket, being a double fan was easier for the Thunder faithful.

But heading into the knockout stage, it felt like a collision course between the USA and Canada was within the realm of possibility. Both went a perfect 3-0 in group play and were arguably the two best squads of the 2024 Olympics.

Gilgeous-Alexander talked about the possibility and sounded excited. He said it would’ve been a fun matchup and could stress test how far Canada’s program has progressed after historically struggling.

Instead, Canada fell in the opening round while the USA advanced to the championship contest against host country France.

Entering the semifinals post-Canada exit, the reasons to root for the USA are obvious. It represents this country and has been the most dominant program in basketball history. It’s only patriotic to hope LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry bring home the gold in their likely final run together at this stage.

But should Thunder fans consider playing devil’s advocate and root for France to make Canada’s loss look a bit prettier? It may be tempting, but the answer is probably not.

The sole reason Thunder fans followed Canada’s journey was Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort. Neither was assigned blame for its early exit against France.

Gilgeous-Alexander was phenomenal throughout the 2024 Olympics and graded out as one of the best players. Dort helped Canada overcome a disastrous run by Jamal Murray, who looked like a shell of his former self.

Canada’s early demise had more to do with the rest of the roster than those two. Its inability to have other scorers and true centers reared its ugly head in the final moments of its loss to France.

Thunder fans can root for whoever they want in this USA vs. France contest. Policing fandoms is unnecessary and sucks the joy out of sports. It should be an exciting matchup with compelling storylines. Can the former cap off a dominant run? Can the latter pull off the massive upset in its home crowd?

Either way, the result will not affect how productive the individual Olympic runs were for the Thunder’s Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort.

Despite the premature finish, it was a step in the right direction for Canada’s ambitions. Both should be back at this stage in 2028.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander discusses Team USA, possible rematch with Canada in 2024 Olympics

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander discusses Team USA, possible rematch with Canada in 2024 Olympics.

As Canada awaits its opponent for the knockout stage of the 2024 Olympics, the possibility of a tournament matchup against the United States increased after a sweep in group play.

Canada entered the 2024 Olympics as one of the best squads. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ascension into one of the best players in the league has headlined its program.

With that said though, the USA is the heavy favorite to win gold. It has the deepest roster and is headlined by several multi-time All-Star players. It’s been the most dominant squad in group play.

The 26-year-old talked about the USA and the challenges it brings. Depending on how the bracket shakes out, there’s a good chance Canada faces off against it for the third time in the last calendar year.

During halftime between the USA and Puerto Rico, Gilgeous-Alexander discussed the possible rematch with NBC’s Mike Tirico.

“They play to their strengths. They’re obviously very talented, very deep,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You almost have to make no mistakes and play a perfect game when you play against them… As far as Canada, we’ll be ready for whoever we see.”

Canada hopes to win the international tournament as an underdog. It will likely need to slay the USA for that to happen. Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t afraid of that challenge.

“We come here to play against the best talent and best team in the world and they’re at the top of it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on the possibility. “So of course it’d be fun.”

Minus the USA, Canada has the largest assortment of NBA players on its roster. All five starters and its top bench players are in the league. It’d be a fun rematch from last year’s FIBA World Cup.

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Trail-cam footage shows bears ‘foreplaying’ in Yukon forest

The cinnamon-colored black bear seemed the more passive of the two, but is shown pouncing on the darker bear directly in front of the camera.

A trail camera in Canada’s Yukon Territory has captured a what appears to have been a playful moment between two black bears on a remote forest trail.

The footage, shared recently by Yukon Wildlife Cams, involves fairly large black bears, one of them cinnamon-colored.

The darker bear seems to be putting the moves on the lighter bear at the outset. But at  20 seconds, as the darker bear begins to continue down the trail, the lighter bear pounces from behind.

This interaction occurs directly in front of the camera.

David Troup, who positions and monitors a network of cameras in the Yukon wilderness, stated in his description:

“In just a ten hour window in mid-June, a pair of differently colored black bears playing, or foreplaying, a nighttime lynx, and an early morning moose visited this site.”

The lynx and moose are shown after the bear scuffle.

Canada gets to 3 – 0 at the Olympics behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Team Canada advances to 3 – 0 at the Olympics after beating Spain on Friday.

Former Kentucky basketball players have found a lot of success so far at the Olympics, with players on both Team USA and for Canada getting multiple wins. On Friday, Canada got their third win in Paris, beating Spain 88 – 85.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for Canada. He led all scorers with 20 points, including nine from the free throw line. He added three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Jamal Murray once again didn’t score a lot, with just four points, but he contributed a lot in other ways. He put up four rebounds and led the team with six assists.

Related: Lee Kiefer wins a second gold medal in fencing

Trey Lyles played just 11 minutes, recording three points, one rebound, and an assist.

Canada moves on to the quarterfinals, which will begin on August 6th. They won’t know their opponent until the rest of the quarterfinal teams are determined.

Kentucky fans are sure to be happy to see the former Wildcats find success at the Olympics, and will continue to root for them to do well.

Photos of former Notre Dame fencer Lee Kiefer winning team foil gold

Congrats again, Kiefer!

At the Tokyo Olympics, [autotag]Lee Kiefer[/autotag] became the first U.S. fencer to win a gold medal in an individual foil event. Now at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Kiefer, who once fenced at Notre Dame, has made more history. This time, she’s done it with her fellow Americans.

Kiefer, who already has defended her individual foil gold in these Olympics, became the most decorated fencer in U.S. history when she won the third gold of her Olympic career in the team foil event with teammates Lauren Scruggs, whom she beat for that individual foil gold, Jacqueline Dubrovich and Maia Mei Weintraub.

Kiefer and the others earned the first gold for the U.S. in the team foil event with a 45-39 victory over Italy, which came after Japan defeated Canada for the bronze. The U.S. previously won a silver in this event in 2008.

If you want to see the latest in a series of big moments for Kiefer, check out the photos below:

Through two games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranked as one of best players of 2024 Olympics

Through two games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranked as one of best players of 2024 Olympics.

Last summer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke out on the international scene. The 26-year-old led Canada to its best finish in program history with a bronze medal in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Over the last two seasons, Gilgeous-Alexander has ascended into one of the best players in the league. He’s had back-to-back top-five MVP finishes, including runner-up last season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have graduated to a title contender and Gilgeous-Alexander is the largest reason for that. It shouldn’t be a shocker to see him be one of the best players in the infancy stages of the 2024 Olympics.

Canada is 2-0 in group play with wins over Greece and Australia. Barring a disaster, it will advance to the knockout stage of the international tournament.

Through two games, Gilgeous-Alexander is measured as the second-best player of the 2024 Olympics with a 33.13 Global Rating, per HoopsHype. He’s ranked behind Canadian teammate RJ Barrett.

Fellow Thunder teammate Lu Dort is ranked the No. 22 player with a 16.18 Global Rating.

Global Rating is a tell-all stat that measures how impactful a player is with a rating. A full explanation of the formula can be read here.

The eye test also aligns with it. Gilgeous-Alexander is the best player on arguably the second-best squad of the 2024 Olympics. Canada has a shot at making serious noise.

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FIBA Dillon Brooks? Rockets forward thriving again at 2024 Olympics

“I like to play for my country; it gives me a lot of passion to do so,” Dillon Brooks told BasketNews. “For the game itself, you have to be 40 minutes, attentive to detail.” 

In 2023, Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks enjoyed a strong run as Canada secured its first FIBA World Cup medal. He punctuated that effort with an astonishing 39-point outburst on peak efficiency during a third-place game victory versus the United States.

Brooks was named Best Defensive Player at the tournament.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Brooks and his native Canada appear poised to make another deep tournament run. After a 2-0 start to the three-game group phase of Olympic play, Canada has already secured its spot in the eight-team, single elimination quarterfinals.

Brooks is a clear reason, with averages of 15.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 24.4 minutes while shooting 50.0% from the field and over 70% on 3-pointers. His average plus/minus for each game, which represents Canada’s scoring margin with Brooks on the court, is +17.5.

“I like to play for my country; it gives me a lot of passion to do so,” Brooks told BasketNews. “For the game itself, you have to be 40 minutes attentive to detail. All those things add a lot more to a player.”

Canada finishes group-stage play versus Spain on Friday, with tipoff set for 10:15 a.m. Central (it can be streamed on Peacock). Until then, here is a look at Brooks’ 2024 Olympic highlights, in photos.

Canada’s win over Australia latest reminder why Thunder made right call to trade Josh Giddey

Canada’s win over Australia latest reminder why Thunder made right call to trade Josh Giddey.

Heading into Australia’s group contest against Canada, Josh Giddey had a little extra motivation beyond the 2024 Olympics.

The 21-year-old had an early chance to show out against his former teammates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort. The trio were traditional starters for the Oklahoma City Thunder the last three seasons.

A career-worst campaign last year featured Giddey playing a career-low in minutes and was benched during OKC’s final two playoff games. After the season, he requested a fresh start after refusing to come off the bench for next season.

Giddey’s wish was granted when he was swapped with Alex Caruso to the Chicago Bulls. Entering the last year of his rookie deal, he hopes to have a bounce-back campaign next season as a primary ball-handler to secure a long-term deal.

In Australia’s close loss to Canada, Giddey exemplified why he still has a shot to be a quality NBA starter and couldn’t work out on the Thunder any longer.

Scoring the opening basket on a patent floater, Giddey had a strong start. The 6-foot-8 guard controlled the rhythm and was a maestro with the ball. He gained confidence and hit on some difficult off-dribble 3-pointers on the shortened Olympics perimeter line.

At halftime, he led the Boomers to a 49-45 lead with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, four rebounds and three assists. He stuffed the stat sheet and was the best player on the court.

It was easy to see why the Thunder liked Giddey so much. He showed flashes of being a high-end playmaker who can attack the basket and get to the free-throw line. The outside shot also looked respectable, which has been his biggest weakness since entering the league.

An awesome first half saw some Thunder fans ponder if they made a mistake. Perhaps Giddey could’ve worked out here and should’ve received more on-ball reps. There was a sense of FOMO in the early morning hours of Tuesday.

But then the second half quickly reminded folks why it wouldn’t have worked out and a clean divorce was the best course of action for both parties this offseason.

Canada assigned its top two defenders Dort and Dillon Brooks to Giddey. As soon as that happened, the 21-year-old collapsed under the pressure. He struggled to create space and faded into the background as Canada created a large lead.

Giddey had just four points on 1-of-5 shooting, three rebounds and three assists in the latter two quarters.

A pair of turnovers were caused by former teammate Dort — who poked the ball away from Giddey from behind as he sprinted past halfcourt and had the ball snatched from him later on for an easy transition dunk for Canada to end the third quarter.

Australia struggled to score in the second half and Giddey being iced out left them with no real go-to scorer. Canada collected a double-digit win in a contest with several lead changes in the first half.

The tale of two halves summarized Giddey. He can thrive as a ball-handler but that wasn’t going to happen with the Thunder. A quiet second half demonstrated some of the struggles he might face as the focal point of opposing defenses.

The Thunder could’ve run it back with Giddey next season, but it’d be doing so knowing there’s a ceiling with his impact as the fourth option on limited touches.

Instead, the Thunder ripped the bandaid off and found an easier fit in Caruso, a textbook 3-and-D starter. It was the right call to make — even if Giddey goes on to have a solid career with the Bulls.

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RJ Barrett leads Canadian team in scoring for second straight game at Olympics

Former Duke basketball star RJ Barrett led the Canadian Olympic team in scoring for the second straight time on Tuesday, a 93-83 win over Australia.

The Canadian men’s basketball team won its second straight Olympic game on Tuesday, and for the second straight time, former Duke basketball star [autotag]RJ Barrett[/autotag] led the team in scoring.

Canada beat Australia 93-83 on Tuesday, and Barrett made eight of his 14 attempts from the floor to finish with 24 points.

The Australians built a 49-45 lead through the first half of the game, but a six-point swing in the third quarter gave Barrett and the Canadians the advantage. Canada then dominated the final quarter, only allowing 13 points en route to the double-digit victory.

Canada also beat Greece, led by two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, for an 86-79 win on Saturday. Barrett finished that game with 23 points, making eight of his 13 attempts. He’s averaging 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals through two games in Paris.

With the top two countries from every four-team group assured of a spot in the quarterfinals, Barrett and his countrymen have virtually locked up their place in the elimination bracket.

Barrett, who put together one of the best freshman seasons in Duke history back in 2018-19, went third overall to the New York Knicks in the 2019 NBA draft. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors back in December.

Dillon Brooks, Canada to face Jock Landale, Australia at 2024 Olympics

In an Olympics matchup featuring three current Rockets, Dillon Brooks and Canada will face Jock Landale, Jack McVeigh, and Australia on Tuesday.

In a 2024 Olympics matchup featuring three current Houston Rockets players, Dillon Brooks and Team Canada will face Jock Landale, Jack McVeigh, and Team Australia on Tuesday morning.

The game tips off at 6:30 a.m. Central from Lille, France, and it will be available to watch and stream live in the United States on Peacock (subscription required). Brooks and Landale are expected to start for their sides, while McVeigh will play off the bench.

The 12 nations in the men’s basketball tournament are split into three groups, with four teams in each group. Canada and Australia are both in Group A, along with Greece and Spain.

At the end of the three-game group phase, the top two teams in each group automatically advance to the quarterfinals. Additionally, the two best third-place teams, as determined by point differential, move on to the eight-team quarterfinals. At that point, the tournament will follow a standard single elimination, knockout format.

Both Canada and Australia won their initial group-phase game on Saturday, with all three members of the Rockets playing well in those games. So, both sides are well positioned to eventually move on to the quarterfinals — and a win Tuesday could potentially clinch it.

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