It was a year later than anybody expected, and in an eerily empty building, that also nobody could have anticipated in March of 2020.
The FIBA Olympic basketball qualifying tournament got underway Tuesday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre as a kind of fitting metaphor for an unusual time. It leads to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which come with the appendage Plus One.
Another thing not many people expected — that a Greek team missing two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo, with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Eastern Conference final — would give host Canada a scare in the opening game of the tournament before bowing 97-91 to the favoured Canucks.
Greece, with three pre-tournament games under its belt and expertly coached by veteran NBA and NCAA mentor Rick Pitino, had the team cohesion that comes with a group that knows each other well from the Greek pro league. Canada, with eight current and two former NBA players, did not have the opportunity to arrange pre-tournament games and it showed. Canada trailed through the first half but stayed in the game and then pulled it out on almost raw individual talent alone with Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors scoring 23 points, R.J. Barrett of the New York Knicks 22 and Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the New Orleans Pelicans 18.
“It was tough at the beginning. They [Greece] did a great job as a well-oiled machine and took it to us,” said Barrett.
“But we were able to play together to grind out the win. We did a good job of figuring it out. Sometimes in basketball, that’s how it goes. You’ve just got to find a way to win.”
But it didn’t happen without a few anxious moments on the same floor on which the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship, purchased by Victoria organizers from the old Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
“We knew it was going to be a big learning experience in our first game together against a very good team that has rhythm and executed at a high level,” said Canadian head coach Nick Nurse.
“We did well to hang in there in the first half. I’m glad we bounced back through it. It wasn’t easy. We learned a lot about who we are and where we are going next,” added the Toronto Raptors mentor.
Turkey was playing Uruguay in a late-finishing game to end the day on Blanshard in the other pool.
Canada is in a group with China and Greece and meets the Chinese national team today at 4 p.m. (CBC). The other group consists of Uruguay, Turkey and the Czech Republic. The top two from each group will advance to the cross-over semifinals on Saturday. The championship game is Sunday with the winner advancing to the Tokyo Olympic Games beginning July 23.
Canada, with its current Golden Generation of NBA players, is attempting to get back to the Olympics in men’s basketball for the first time since captain and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash of Victoria led the national team to the 2000 Sydney Games.
The provincial health office last weekend approved 10 per cent capacity, from Thursday, for the qualifier in the 7,400-seat Memorial Centre. A lottery will be held among original ticket purchasers from last year as demand will far outstrip supply. A source told the Times Colonist that local organizers felt blindsided by Tuesday’s provincial announcement that 50 per cent capacity will be allowed for other indoor events in B.C. beginning Thursday.
TIP-OFFS: There was a moment of silence held before the Canada-Greece game with the big arena screen going solid orange. Canada also wore an orange stripe on its jerseys. “We wanted as an organization, team and country do a small thing to pay respect,” said Nurse, of the gestures, in honour of Canadian Indigenous communities.
