Canada cruises in pair of home games to cap first round of FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers
Thanks to some familiar faces, Team Canada’s men’s basketball team cruised to two wins to cap off the first round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers in Hamilton, Ont.
With a 110-84 win over Puerto Rico on Friday and a 116-78 win over Jamaica on Monday, Canada improved to 6-0 overall to clinch the top spot in Group B of the first round of qualifiers.
With the NBA offseason upon us, Team Canada rolled out a team that included seven players on an active NBA roster. This, of course, included two-time NBA MVP Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, who had the chance to play in front of his hometown friends in Hamilton.
There were also a number of players on the roster from Canada’s last World Cup squad, which won a historic bronze in September 2023. Players such as Andrew Nembhard, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Dillon Brooks, all of which have improved their NBA productivity since last stepping on a court for Team Canada, were available to play.
On Friday night, Canada hosted Puerto Rico. It did not take long for home fans to witness a show from the home team at TD Coliseum.
Canada gave maximum effort defensively, forcing Puerto Rico to just 42 per cent shooting from the field.
It was clear early that Canada possessed the advantage on offense as well, led by Gilgeous-Alexander who got off to a hot start from the mid-range.
With contributions offensively from Andrew Nembhard and Dillon Brooks, Canada got off to a 42-19 start with 5:19 remaining in the second quarter, and would never look back.
A lot has changed since Canada won its first World Cup medal three years ago in Manila, Philippines.
Most notably, the men’s team’s heartbreaking loss to France in the quarterfinals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games halted what was an otherwise promising run toward their first Olympic medal. Leadership at Canada Basketball had a similar message to its players ahead of the journey that will hopefully culminate in competing for a medal at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Introduced for the first time at a press conference in June, new head coach Gordie Herbert passed down that message to the pool of 23 players who announced their commitment to the team for the next three years.
“If guys don’t commit this summer, they’re not in,” he told reporters.
Herbert hails from Penticton, B.C. and has coached for various pro teams around the world for the last 30 years. In 2023, he was behind the bench for Germany, leading them to win a historic gold medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
If the games this past week were any indication of the playing style we can expect from Canada moving forward, aggressive defence and a fast tempo will be the name of the game for the men’s team.
On Monday, seven Canadians scored in double figures on the way to a 116-78 win over Jamaica.
Canada turned up the intensity, forcing 23 Jamaican turnovers in the game. At one point in the second half, Gilegous-Alexander did something you rarely see on a basketball court—getting a steal leading to a breakaway basket on three straight possessions.
Canada once again got off to a hot start, and although Jamaica was able to cut the lead to 15 near the end of the first half, Canada’s play in the second half fully put the game out of reach.
The loss on Monday eliminated Jamaica from World Cup contention, as they finished last in Group B.
Canada finished the first round with a 6-0 record and will be one of 12 teams advancing to round two of the Americas Qualifiers. The 12 teams will be split into two groups. All results from the previous round will be carried over, and the three best placed teams from each group, plus the fourth-placed team with better record, will qualify for the World Cup.
FIBA Americas World Cup qualifying action will start back up again on August 27, 2026, with Canada now set to play Panama in their first game of the second round.
The FIBA World Cup will take place August 27 to September 12, 2027 in Qatar. It will also serve as the first qualification event for men’s basketball at LA 2028. The two best teams from the Americas at the World Cup will secure Olympic qualification.
