Canada vs Spain Basketball Full Game Highlights for Paris Olympics 2024

02 Aug 2024 ScoreWaves Staff view

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The Men’s Basketball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics has reached a crucial stage. And on Friday two of the best basketballing nation go head-to-head in a game of immense importance.

Basketball fans have been treated to some spectacular games at the 2024 Olympics, and Day 7 brings another set of mouth-watering clashes. Tonight, Canada takes on Spain, with a place in the knockout stage up for grabs. Both Canada and Spain have delivered impressive performances this tournament.

However, for Spain, a place in the quarters hangs in the balance. A win would secure their place in the quarters, but a loss could shatter their Olympic dreams. So, which team would come out on top in this high stake match up?

Spain left with a mountain to climb

Over the years, the Spanish Men’s National basketball team have gained a reputation of being incredibly consistent. In fact, they have won silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. Furthermore, they clinched a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, Spain’s incredible streak was broken at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where they finished 6th.

Fans of the Spanish team expected a comprehensive performance at the 2024 Olympics. After all, they are currently ranked as the 2nd best Men’s national team in the world. But Spain started their Olympic campaign with an embarrassing loss by a scoreline of 92-80 at the hands of Australia. Following this loss, Spain bounced back with a win over Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Greece in matchday 2.

However, they now face what could be their toughest challenge yet, Canada, in their final group stage game. Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama and center Willy Hernangomez will have to be at their best if Spain is to have any chance of defeating Canada.

Canada – A legitimate threat to USA’s dominance

USA have dominated the international men’s basketball circuit since the beginning. So far, no nation has come close to ending that dominance. However, with basketball’s growing global popularity, some nations are catching up to the US. In recent years, Canada has produced several NBA stars like Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Lu Dort and many more. This group of Canadian basketball stars have narrowed the gap in quality to the point where Canada is now considered a contender for the gold medal.

However, the jewel in Canada’s crown is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 25-year-old OKC Thunder star has established himself as a legitimate star. Furthermore, he also came third in the 2024 NBA MVP voting. SGA averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds during the 2023-24 NBA season.

Despite their envious pool of talent, Canada’s roster has a glaring weakness. Canada’s lack of depth in the center position could prove to be their Achilles heel. Players like Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell and Trey Lyles are not elite players.

Canada made light work of Giannis-led Greece, winning by a scoreline of 86-79 in their first game. The Canadians booked a place at the knockout rounds by defeating Australia in their second game by a scoreline of 93-83. With a place in the knockout rounds already secured, the Canada can rest their key players for the business end of the tournament.