Canada HC Criticizes NBA Stars After Painful Loss

Despite featuring multiple young NBA players, Canada fell short of their goal vs. the Brazilian national team.

The Canadians are no longer undefeated at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, dropping a true shocker.

Notably, New York Knicks star R.J. Barrett didn’t have his best game of the tournament, going just 1-for-8 from the floor for four points.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did have 23 points, but he was nowhere to be found later in the game and even took a couple of wild shots, which ended in airballs.

That’s why Canada coach Jordi Fernandez was quite critical of his stars, calling them out for not scoring, not defending, and not creating for others.

Canada shot just 33% from the floor, with the OKC Thunder star duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort doing most of the heavy lifting, combining for 40 of their team’s 65 points.

Former first-round pick Bruno Caboclo was huge for Brazil, logging a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double, including eight points late in the game.

Canada is looking to make it to the top eight for the first time since they hosted the World Cup in 1994, but that will be easier said than done.

Right now, all teams have an identical 3-1 record, but they sit on top thanks to their +111 point differential.

Now, we will have as many as four win-or-go-home matchups on Sunday’s slate, with Canada set to have one of the toughest matchups as they square off against Spain, a team they beat by just five points in an exhibition game just a couple of weeks before the start of the World Cup.

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