Canada beats U.S. in OT to take bronze, win first medal at FIBA World Cup

For the second time this tournament, Canada has made history.

Canada defeated the United States 127-118 in overtime to take bronze and win its first medal at a FIBA World Cup on Sunday in Manila, Philippines.

CANADA TAKES HOME BRONZE. ????#FIBAWC | @CanBball pic.twitter.com/Cfls2FN0An

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 10, 2023

Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored his team’s first seven points of overtime as Canada never trailed in the extra frame.

In a crazy finish to regulation, American Mikal Bridges purposely missed a free throw with the U.S. down three and 4.2 seconds left, grabbed the offensive rebound and then raced beyond the arc to drill a game-tying three.

Kelly Olynyk’s three at the buzzer rimmed out, sending it to overtime.

Though Canada had its best start of the tournament — scoring 34 points in the first quarter — the game was close throughout.

Gilgeous-Alexander made a tough pull-up jumper with Bridges in his face to put Canada up two with 34.6 seconds left in the fourth. Dillon Brooks then made two free throws to put Canada up four before the Americans pulled even.

Brooks led Canada with 39 points, beating his NBA career-high and setting a Canadian record for most points in a World Cup game.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with 31 points, 12 assists and six rebounds.

The Americans went on a 12-0 run near the start of the fourth quarter to erase a double-digit deficit and go up by two.

With this win, Canada has also handed the United States consecutive medal-less appearances at the World Cup for the first time in half a century.

Earlier in the tournament, Canada clinched a spot at the Olympics for the first time since 2000.

“The United States hasn’t won the World Cup since 2014,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s hard. These teams in FIBA are really good, well-coached, they’ve got continuity and they’ve played together for a long time. This is difficult and it’s been difficult already.”

Canada’s only other medal in a tournament of this magnitude — World Cup or Olympics — came in 1936, when it lost 19-8 to the U.S. in the gold-medal matchup at the Berlin Games. That final was played outside, in a rainstorm, on a clay court that probably would have been better served that day as a slip-and-slide.

This was for bronze, not silver. But it’s safe to say Canada enjoyed it even more than that better finish 87 years ago.

“We really wanted to play the U.S.,” Brooks said. “We got our wish.”