U.S. tops Canada 86-72 in Olympic men's basketball tune-up game

LAS VEGAS — For USA Basketball, the road to the Paris Olympics has started with a win.

Anthony Davis scored 13 points, Stephen Curry added 12 and the United States opened its tune-up schedule for the Paris Games by topping Canada 86-72 on Wednesday night.

Jrue Holiday scored 11 points and Anthony Davis finished with 10 for the U.S., which has four more exhibitions before getting to France. RJ Barrett scored 12 points for Canada, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks each had 10.

The U.S. was down 11-1 midway through the first quarter, having missed its first six shot attempts. The rest of the half: U.S. 40, Canada 22, and the Americans shot 18 for 28 — 64 per cent — in that span. The lead was 41-33 at the break and the Americans stretched it to 69-54 going into the fourth.

The seventh-ranked Canadians last saw the top-ranked Americans in the bronze-medal game at the FIBA World Cup in September, when Canada came out on top 127-118 in overtime to win its first-ever medal at the event.

Canada's men's basketball team will be making its first Olympic appearance since finishing seventh at the 2000 Sydney Games. The Olympic basketball competition will take place July 27 to Aug. 11.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press