Talk about a statement game. Canada opened up their 2023 FIBA World Cup schedule with a 95-65 victory over France.
Canada was down 7-0 to start the game before Dillon Brooks opened up the scoring with a vicious dunk over Rudy Gobert in front of 12,091 fans packed into Indonesia Arena.
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The score remained close in the second quarter before the Canadians built a 20-point lead in the third quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 13 of his game-high 27 points in the third frame.
By the fourth quarter rolled around, it was too late for the French to mount a comeback and Canada went to win by 30 points.
“We wanted to come out here, play to our identity, do the right things on the basketball court,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after the win.
Up next for the Canadians is a showdown with Lebanon on August 27th.