When the groupings for the Olympic basketball tournament were announced, Group A, composed of heavyweights Canada, Spain, Australia, and Greece, was immediately labeled the “Group of Death.”

Nonetheless, Canada’s impressive depth had them starting the Olympics favored to come out on top of Group A and even secure a medal, but living up to these expectations is a completely different challenge. The Canadians have been up for it so far though in their first two games, beating Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece by seven points, before taking a 10-point win over the reigning Olympic bronze medalist Australia.

These victories  secured them a spot in the knockout stage, yet seeding for the next round still provided much incentive to win their final group stage match against the reigning EuroBasket champion Spain.

Canada approached the game with this exact mindset as they built a nine-point lead, 49-38, by halftime. The Canadians closed the opening half with a 9-2 run over the last 101 seconds of the second quarter, instigated by Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored the first five points during this stretch.

The Canadians still held on to an eight-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and seemed like they were about to cruise to another victory before Spain’s Dario Brizuela had the quarter of a lifetime. The FC Barcelona guard, who recorded just five points across Spain’s previous two contests, scored 16 of his 17 points in the final quarter to bring Spain back into the match.

Brizuela tallied the first nine points of the fourth period for the Spaniards, bringing them within three points, 68-65, with 7:22 left on the clock. Canada’s NBA veterans – Dillon Brooks, Andrew Nembhard, and RJ Barrett – responded with an 8-2 run to bring the lead back up to nine, 76-67, but Spain refused to quit.

The 29-year-old Brizuela scored seven more points during a 13-6 run by the reigning EuroBasket champions to bring them within a basket, 82-80, with only 55 seconds remaining.

It appeared that Spain’s comeback was inevitable at that point, but Gilgeous-Alexander took control for Canada on the last possession. He isolated on top of the key against Alex Abrines, himself a former Oklahoma City player, and broke free with a crossover as he began driving with his left towards the basket. Gilgeous-Alexander was met by the help defense of Santi Aldama and Sergio Llull in the paint, which allowed him to kick the ball out to Barrett, who was wide open in the left corner for a three-pointer.

Barrett’s three gave Canada a five-point lead, 85-80, and this proved to be enough to secure the victory. Canada came away with an 86-85 victory that secured their spot as one of the top seeds in the upcoming knockout stage. This match solidified the Canadians’ place as legitimate medal contenders in these Olympics, and the experiences from this tight fourth quarter will be invaluable in the coming days.

Aside from Gilgeous-Alexander, several Canadian players shined in the win. Barrett wrapped up the game with 16 points and three assists, while Dillon Brooks added 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Andrew Nembhard was spectacular off the bench, chipping in with 18 points on eight-of-10 shooting in 22 minutes.

The Denver Nuggets’ star guard Jamal Murray continued to struggle with shooting for Canada, finishing with only four points on five shots in a reserve role, though he did contribute with six assists.

Canada will now vie for a semifinal spot against France, and their path to the gold means they’ll also have to beat either Germany or Greece in the final four.

This win by Canada over Spain was quite fitting symbolically, as it may foreshadow a changing of the guard in the international basketball scene. Spain was once an Olympic powerhouse, finishing with consecutive silver medals in the 2008 and 2012 games, but their golden era seems to be at its sunset. On the other hand, Canada is competing in its first Olympic games in 24 years, and with an All-NBA talent like the 26-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, the future is definitely bright for this team.