VICTORIA — Putting up nearly 100 points against a basketball powerhouse may have come as a shock to most hoop fans, but not to Canadian forward Kelly Olynyk.
Canada’s national men’s team recorded an impressive 99-87 win over world No. 7 Argentina in FIBA 2023 World Cup qualifying play in the Americas group on Thursday night at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Canada, ranked No. 18 by FIBA, improved to 7-0 in Group E play. The win comes a year after a gut-wrenching overtime loss in the B.C. capital to Czechia, the country most commonly known as the Czech Republic, in an Olympic qualifier.
“We can score. We have a lot of talent and it doesn’t surprise me a ton,” said Olynyk of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. “We can score with the best of them and we probably could’ve had more. We missed some easy ones. I know I did.”
Olynyk, of Kamloops, B.C., ignited a near-capacity crowd of almost 7,000 as he racked up 21 points. He finished just behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had a team-high 23.
The key was good starts to both halves, Olynyk offered.
“That helped us out. We were locked in at the beginning. We pushed our lead to 20 (in the second quarter) and it gave us a bit of a cushion,” he said.
Canada is pooled in the second round of World Cup qualifying with Venezuela (6-1), Argentina (5-2), Dominican Republic (5-2), Panama (2-5) and Bahamas (2-5).
The win, although challenging, kept Canada atop the group as it aims to pad its record when it next travels to Panama for a game on Monday.
“This is probably our biggest challenge playing a team like this,” said Canadian head coach Nick Nurse, of the Toronto Raptors. “They’ve got something we’re trying to build which is longevity, experience and chemistry and that goes a long way in this game. We’ve seen it, we’ve faced it, we’ve felt it.”
Canada got off to a nice start, running up a 28-21 lead after the first quarter. The hosts led 4-0 extremely early before Argentina — specifically Nicolas Laprovittola — started finding its range from the three-point line.
Olynyk, who drew the biggest cheer at introductions, came alive late with a handful of points as the home side grabbed a 21-16 advantage. Kevin Pangos then nailed a baseline jumper and added a three-pointer in the dying seconds of the first quarter for the seven-point lead.
Canada stretched the lead to 45-31 late in the second quarter, courtesy of three-pointers from Kassius Robertson and Melvin Ejim, which sandwiched a tricky spin-around baseline move from Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks.
A late three-pointer from Gilgeous-Alexander and a couple of free throws from Olynyk with two seconds remaining gave Canada a healthy 52-39 lead at halftime.
Olynyk had 11 points at the half, followed by Gilgeous-Alexander with 10 and Powell with eight. Laprovittola had 21 of Argentina’s 39 points at the midway point, going 4-of-5 shooting from three. He finished with a game-high 30 points.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the Utah Jazz poured in back-to-back three-pointers early in the third quarter as Canada opened a 65-43 advantage. Having come out of the game early after a pair of quick fouls, he made his mark late in the third, before leaving again with his fifth foul.
It was an aggressive showing all the way around for the Canadians.
“We were aggressive tonight and that’s why we came out on top,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.
“That’s a very good country,” added Olynyk. “Any time you have that team in your home building, or anywhere, they’re going to put up a good fight.”
This is a key juncture for Canada as the top three in each of Group E and F, and the top fourth-place finisher, will advance to the 30-team 2023 FIBA World Cup from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10, 2023, in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
The World Cup is a direct qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Four final Olympic spots will also be decided in last-chance qualifiers, something Canada wants to avoid after suffering its fate last year.
THREE-POINTERS: Raptors and Canada superfan Nav Bhatia was even in the house, among the crowd. … Former Victoria Vikes greats Eli Pasquale and Cord Clemens were honoured during the third quarter. Both passed away in the last three years.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 25, 2022.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
