Author: Monojit Mandal
Brazil beat Canada 69-65 in a thrilling match at the Indonesia Arenas, in an impressive change of events at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. The win extended Brazil’s winning streak over Canada to six games, with the last time they did so coming in 1978.
Brazil’s excellent planning and detailed execution delivered a decisive performance in this incredible match. The head coach of the Brazilian team, Gustavo Conti, praised his players’ efforts, saying: “It was a good game in terms of our strategy.” “We decided to slow down the game when we reached the point of completing the reconnaissance route. It was a bit unusual for us to get that, but the players did an excellent job to cut it out. This victory is entirely due to them“.
I’m quite impressed by Bruno Caboclo’s ground coverage pic.twitter.com/j70h5Tu061
– Francesco Semprucci (@fra_sempru) September 2, 2023
Brazil’s starting striker Bruno Caboclo emphasized the team’s dedication to the coach’s strategy, adding: “I think we played a very good game. We followed our technician’s instructions. We recognize their vision and follow their actions. It wasn’t going to be a high-volume game, and we needed to do that to win this match.”
The exciting game peaked in the fourth quarter when Yago Santos stood out, making vital plays that led Brazil to victory. Santos’ performances, which included two critical shots, gave the submarines a 64-60 lead that they would never lose again. However, it was Bruno Caboclo’s excellent effort, with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds, that kept Brazil in the game throughout. Caboclo also added three blocks and two blocks, while shooting 7 of 13 from the field.
On the other side of the court, Canada’s head coach, Jordi Fernandéz, praised Brazil’s strength, saying: “We have to give Brazil a lot of credit for this victory”. They worked very hard. I assumed we were doing well on a day-to-day basis. We had a chance, but we obviously weren’t willing to change the ground, move the ball or move our bodies for another. It’s quite difficult to win when you play like that.”
Canada, trailing by 55 points at the end of the third quarter, had their momentum drastically altered when a Lucas Dias three-pointer cut the gap to seven points. The rare Brazilian team capitalized on this turn of events, winning a dramatic victory that left them excited for their next game against Latvia.