Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Clemente Almanza

2023 FIBA World Cup: SGA leads Canada to semifinals with 100-89 win over Slovenia

SGA (Person) Shai GilgeousAlexander Fiba Canada Lu Dort Slovenia Clemente Almanza World Cup Luka Doncic FIBA World Cup

After being tied at 50 at halftime, Canada continued to dominate the third quarter in its 100-89 win against Slovenia in the 2023 FIBA World Cup quarterfinals.

As has been the case for both Canada and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge in the third quarter with a dominating 10 minutes. He scored nine of its 30 points in the quarter, leading to the 30-21 scoring advantage that decided the game.

An offer for Thunder fans

For the best local Oklahoma news, sports, entertainment and culture coverage, subscribe to The Oklahoman.
$1 for 3 months
Buy Thunder Tickets

Gilgeous-Alexander’s superb play didn’t stop there though. He scored 17 points in the second half to lead Canada to a 50-39 scoring advantage to seal the win.

Slovenia made it interesting in the fourth quarter — especially after Luka Doncic’s ejection — by cutting its deficit to nine points but Canada pulled away.

Canada moves onto the semifinals for the first time; it will face Serbia.

Overall, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points on 8-of-12 shooting, 10 rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. He shot 14-of-16 from the free-throw line.

In his last two games, he has totaled 61 points on 15-of-24 (62.5%) shooting.

Dueling against fellow 2018 draft member superstar Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander won this round. The highly anticipated matchup between arguably the two best FIBA players lived up to the hype for the most part before Canada started to pull away in the second half.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Lu Dort’s biggest contribution was agitating Doncic’s fourth-quarter ejection. After the latter thought the former fouled him, he was handed his second technical foul of the game which led to his immediate disqualification. This caused Slovenia to play the final 6:37 without its best player.

In 21 minutes off the bench, Dort had eight points on 2-of-4 shooting and two rebounds. He struggled to get out of foul trouble as he totaled four fouls, which likely explains his limited playing time.

Let’s look at instant reactions and highlights from Canada’s quarterfinals win.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
FDA restricts psychoactive mushroom used in some edibles
The regulator warned food manufacturers that Amanita muscaria –  more commonly known as the fly agaric – and the compounds it contains are not authorized to use
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
“I go to church every Sunday when I’m home. Especially now I’ve replaced the booze with glue”: From GN’R and Pantera to Ozzy Osbourne and God, Zakk Wylde is the most connected man in rock
It’s Zakk Wylde’s world - we just live in it
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
My husband and I tried the Scandi Sleep Method and love it — 3 reasons you will too
We avoided a sleep divorce thanks to the Scandinavian Sleep Method, but will it work for you too? Three telltale signs that it will...
Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
45 Years Ago, A Disney Misstep Was A Secret Sci-Fi Masterpiece
The haters were wrong. On its 45th birthday, 'The Black Hole' is just as wonderfully manic as ever. Here's why this flop is actually worth your time.
Inverse
Inverse
Black long COVID patients ignored
New research found that those living with long COVID in the U.S. had significantly more anxiety and depression
Salon
Salon
Jared Leto’s latest ‘iconic’ role leaves fans divided
‘Skeletor was going to make or break this movie,’ said one fan
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play