feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

NBA superstars Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will face off for third place in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Team USA and Canada had the opportunity to face each other for the World Cup. However, both teams shockingly slipped up in the Semi-Final despite their star-studded lineup. Now, they will look to put the upset defeats behind them and show what they are made of in the upcoming game. As Edwards and Gilgeous-Alexander get ready for the matchup, which star will come out on top?

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

Edwards and Gilgeous-Alexander are not only leaders but they have also been the most consistent performers for their teams in the tournament.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

ADVERTISEMENT

Anthony Edwards vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Team USA won 5 of 6 games to reach the Semi-Final of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Anthony Edwards was a major reason behind the team’s success in the tournament. He is leading the team in points with 18.1 per game and comes in second in rebounds with 4.6 per game. Even in their first defeat against Lithuania, the Minnesota Timberwolves star erupted for 35 points.

Similarly, in their Semi-Final loss to Germany, he had 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists as per FIBA. However, it was not enough to help his team get the win. Despite being very efficient from inside the arc making 8 of 9, he struggled from the 3-point territory going 2 of 8.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Similarly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the driving force behind Canada. Notably, the Oklahoma City Thunder star leads his team in points, rebounds, and assists showing his dominance.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to stats from FIBA, he is averaging 23.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Once again, similar to Edwards, Gilgeous-Alexander helped his team reach the Semi-Final by winning 5 of 6 games.

READ MORE – Despite Constant Rumors and Teasing Around Taylor Swift, Who Is Austin Reaves Actually Dating?

ADVERTISEMENT

In the loss against Serbia, Gilgeous-Alexander lost some early minutes because of foul trouble.?Even though he still played around 34 minutes, he could not gain momentum and the team could not catch up to Serbia.

USA vs. Canada: A new rivalry

Team USA is one of the most dominant teams in basketball with five World Cups to their name. After not winning the title in the last iteration, they were expected to win it all this year. Unfortunately they will now look to clinch at least the third spot against neighbors Canada.

ADVERTISEMENT

On the other hand, Canada has never won a medal in the FIBA World Cup. The last time Canada won a medal in basketball was in 1936 when they clinched Silver in the Olympics. This will be the first time Team USA and Canada will fight for a medal which could pave the way for the start of a new rivalry given Canada’s continuous improvement.

At the forefront of tomorrow’s battle for the Bronze medal would be Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Notably, both stars will also be fighting for the MVP award. Furthermore, with the reputation of Dillon Brooks, the game will be no short feisty encounters.

ADVERTISEMENT

WATCH THIS STORYLuka Doncic EJECTED! Blowing the Goodbye Kisses, Dillon Brooks ?Annoys? Slovenia Into a FIBA World Cup Exit

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Bagavathi Eswaran

1,520 Articles

Bagavathi Eswaran is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports, having a strong passion for the sport since the age of ten. As a former college player, Bagavathi has been following the NBA for more than a decade and has found his calling in writing about the sport. He has used his expertise in covering the NBA, as well as other arenas of the sport, to write more than 1400 articles at ES. Bagavathi's pieces on the increasingly dominant presence of European basketball and those following the journey of women-ballers are particularly noteworthy. Along with being a full-time writer, he is also a part of a group of young coaches groomed as trainers by Junior NBA. Bagavathi has trained players from schools and colleges, as well as underprivileged students who can attend the camps for free.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Aakash Nair

ADVERTISEMENT