Canadian leader Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a serious candidate for the title of tournament MVP

MADRID, September 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Canadian basketball team will face the United States this Sunday (10:30 a.m.) in the consolation final of the Men’s World Championship taking place in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, where winning the bronze medal would be historic for the team. maple leaf team.

It is not in vain that Canada has already broken its ceiling during the men’s World Cups during this edition. Never before has the national team that gave birth to James Naismith, inventor of basketball in 1891, gone this far. The team now coached by Spaniard Jordi Fernández was one of the sensations of the tournament, leaving the still champion in the gutter.

In this last match of the second group phase, with the feel of the round of 16 because it was “win or go home”, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shone again during the Canadian victory (85-88) against the Spain. His 30 points, seven assists and 36 scoring credits were a nightmare for the title-defending team.

But the Oklahoma City Thunder leader had another ace up his sleeve before the quarterfinals, scoring 31 points as well as 10 rebounds and 40 PIR credits during his team’s victory (100-89) against Slovenia. In addition, he eclipsed Luka Doncic in the duel in order to have a lot of weight in the election of the MVP of the tournament.

Obtaining this award will depend on his return to the main role or, on the contrary, his supervision as during the defeat (95-86) in the semi-final against Serbia. His card of 15 points, nine assists and 22 scoring credits, formidable for any other player, was insufficient for what Gilgeous-Alexander exhibited.

His performance last season in the NBA precedes him, so the United States team will be very attentive to each play guided by the Thunder leader. If the American players can stop him and minimize RJ Barrett, much of their mission will be accomplished.

And this mission is none other than to redeem themselves from the defeat (111-113) in the semi-final against Germany. Steve Kerr’s men did not speculate and attacked with force; Gone are the days when the United States sent kids to FIBA ​​competitions. But a certain lack of ingenuity was felt in the final minutes against a rival in a state of grace.

A near-perfect game from Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Daniel Theis and company kept an American team off the path to the title that also didn’t win it at the 2019 World Cup. And string together two World Cups without gold is something that stings. within the NBA, which had taken this appointment seriously with Steve Kerr and his illustrious assistants on the bench.

Failing to distribute gold and silver in the final between Germany and Serbia, this fight for bronze will calibrate the thermometer of North America one year before the Paris Olympic Games and will complete the places of honor, after Slovenia finished seventh, beating Italy (85-89) and Latvia finished fifth, beating Lithuania (98-63).