The bracket for the knockout stage of the Olympic basketball tournament is set and Canada’s march towards the pinnacle of international basketball certainly won’t get any easier from here on out.
Following a perfect 3-0 run through the ‘Group of Death,’ Canada is set to take on yet another basketball powerhouse in host nation France, headlined by the twin towers of Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama.
Luckily, Canada will avoid a matchup with the United States until at least the Finals should it make it all the way. It instead fell onto the side of the bracket that would match up with the winner of the Germany vs. Greece game.
Canada has looked stellar so far, notching wins over Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece, the FIBA world No. 5 Australia and world No. 3 Spain, affirming its position as a new basketball power on the rise.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has cemented his place as one of the best players in the world, averaging 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 steals + blocks per game. RJ Barrett has played a strong second fiddle, leading the team in points with 21.0 while adding 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
France, meanwhile, went 2-1 in Group A, with its only loss coming against the 2023 FIBA World Cup champs Germany. Though they haven’t looked as electric as some may have thought coming into the tourney, Wembanyama has looked like the prince that was promised.
The 7-foot-4 phenom leads France in almost every statistical category with 17.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.7 steals. He’s also second on the team in blocks with 2.0 and three-point percentage at 43.8 per cent.
The last time these two nations faced off on the international stage was during the group stage of last summer’s FIBA World Cup, with Canada dominating France in a 95-65 win.
However, France played spoiler for Canada the last time the two sides met at the Olympics in 2000, eliminating the team in the tournament’s quarterfinals and starting its 24-year Olympic drought.
Their rubber match tips off at noon ET on Tuesday.
Here’s a list and schedule for all the quarterfinal matchups.
Germany vs. Greece at 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m. PT on Tuesday
Serbia vs. Australia at 8:30 a.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. PT on Tuesday
Canada vs. France at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT on Tuesday
USA vs. Brazil at 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday