FIBA: Canada targets Olympic success after first World Cup bronze

MANILA -- Small forward Dillon Brooks said Canada would take "good momentum" into next year's Paris Olympics after beating the United States to win bronze at the FIBA World Cup on Sunday.

Canada won 127-118 in overtime in Manila to claim their first World Cup podium finish, denying the United States a medal for a second straight tournament.

Canada had already qualified for their first Olympics since 2000 by finishing as one of the two highest-placed teams from the Americas at the World Cup.

Brooks, who finished the game as Canada's top scorer with 39 points, said the medal would fuel their ambitions when the new NBA season starts next month.

"It's good momentum for us, we'll hold on to that throughout the season," he said.

"I'm going to see a lot of my team-mates during the season.

"Guys that weren't here, that's motivating to them as well, to want to join us, to get better, to make a run at the Olympics."

Canada led for most of the game and built double-digit leads in both the first and third quarters.

They looked to have the game won until the United States' Mikal Bridges hit a game-tying three-pointer with 0.2sec remaining.

Canada quickly took control in overtime, with Brooks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in imperious form.

"This team was amazing, special, it's the beginning of something that's going to last for a long time," said head coach Jordi Fernandez.

"All 12 guys came in and worked every day since August 1, they got at least 1 percent better every day.

"They built the identity that we just showed."

Fernandez said Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points, was "to me the MVP of this World Cup".

Bridges called Canada's point guard a "slithery" player to defend.

"He knows how to get away from you," Bridges said of Gilgeous-Alexander.

"He's an unbelievable player."

Fernandez paid tribute to Brooks's leadership after the Houston Rockets player helped keep the United States' stars quiet while scoring points at the other end.

Brooks was booed by the Manila crowd earlier in the tournament but they serenaded him with chants of "MVP" against the United States.

Brooks said he was determined to help the team win after losing in the semi-finals to Serbia.

"Having that edge every single game, how I prepared for the game, how I was trying to be a leader out there for my team-mates, I've got to bring this back to Houston," he said.

Agence France-Presse

Popovich 'thrilled' as US qualifies for Tokyo 2020 basketball

SHANGHAI – Team USA coach Gregg Popovich spoke of his joy after the reigning Olympic basketball champions qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Games on Monday.

The United States, which will be chasing a fourth Games gold in a row, secured its berth for next summer after beating Brazil 89-73 at the World Cup.

Argentina also confirmed its place in Tokyo.

"We're thrilled that we qualified for the Olympics," said San Antonio Spurs mastermind Popovich, whose team will now face France on Wednesday in the World Cup quarter-finals.

"With this new situation of qualifying, you don't want to have to do that every year. So it's a pretty big grind," said the 70-year-old.

But first, the US has the small matter of winning a third world crown in a row and Popovich's young team is building up a head of steam in China.

The Americans were already assured of a place in the last eight but they still made it five wins in a row to top Group K in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers led them against the Brazilians with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Brazil saw their coach Aco Petrovic ejected in the first half and they refused to attend the post-match press conference.

Having struggled to defeat Turkey in overtime in the first round, this Team USA missing its megastars seems to be warming to the task.

Sunday's victory for Spain over Serbia, who had been title favorites after the Americans' slow start, put Popovich's men back as the team to beat.

There are seven Olympic places up for grabs at the World Cup.

Iran will return to the Games for the first time since Beijing 2008 after they grabbed one of them.

source: philstar.com

China's FIBA World Cup hopes rest on towering front court

SHANGHAI – They're ranked just 30th in the world, but China will have some promising new talent, a gentle group draw, and a billion-plus fans on their side as the hosts look to make some noise at the Basketball World Cup.

Although a perennial Asian power, China struggles against top-flight international teams and has failed to deliver on national hopes raised years ago when now-retired NBA Hall of Famer Yao Ming catapulted to global celebrity.

But expectations are slowly rising again, due once more to Yao, who has launched a campaign to revitalize Chinese basketball since being appointed its supremo two years ago.


For now, China's hopes rest largely on the shoulders of its towering front court of three seven-footers: Yi Jianlian, Zhou Qi and Wang Zhelin.

The seasoned Yi spent several years in the NBA and has played in four Olympics, while the 23-year-old Zhou turned out briefly for the Houston Rockets and combines a shot-blocker's 2.3-meter (7-foot-7) wingspan with the ability to knock down three-pointers.


The Chinese offense will be directed by slashing point guard Guo Ailun.

"Who wouldn't want to play in a FIBA World Cup at home, on your home soil and try to make your fellow compatriots proud?" Guo said in comments to FIBA last week.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we all want to have a great tournament."

China also has landed in a relatively kind group along with Poland, Venezuela, and 64th-ranked Ivory Coast.

The Yao effect

Yao took over as head of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2017 and has set about reforming an entrenched state development system that he says badly needs an overhaul.

He has taken steps to expand youth access to the game, and increase the visibility and earnings of China's professional league, among other initiatives.

In a commentary published by state media on Wednesday, he expressed optimism that the country's basketball achievements would someday rise along with its overall national power.

But he tamped down expectations of overnight success, saying the World Cup is a mere "sprint" compared to the marathon task faced in overhauling Chinese basketball.

"We should focus more on Chinese basketball's perseverance and staying power and its potential and future prospects," he said.

China failed to even qualify for the last World Cup in 2014, and has never finished higher than eighth place in the competition, which this year expands from 24 to 32 teams.

But China's basketballers tend to get a lift as hosts, like they did in 2008 in Beijing when Yao, Yi, and company rode rabid hometown support to the Olympic quarter-finals, the national team's best showing.

Either way, the World Cup will be a net gain for China, Guo told FIBA.

"Hosting a tournament like the FIBA Basketball World Cup is a booster for basketball in every country, and China's love for this sport is very good," he said.

"It's going to keep basketball growing in our country."

source: philstar.com