The Canucks and Aussies, two teams who could challenge Team USA, both had a good win to open the tournament, and they hope to carry that momentum this Tuesday.

Catch the game tomorrow July 30th, at 7:30 PM, Manila time.

Canada (1-0)

Starting five:

  • Shai Gilgeous Alexander
  • Lu Dort
  • RJ Barrett
  • Dillon Brooks
  • Dwight Powell

The Canadians won against Greece on Sunday, 86-79, as they simply had more energy and were able to flex their advantage in talent. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett led the way, with the former tallying 21 points and seven assists, and the latter scoring 23.

SGA and Barrett will be eyed to take the scoring mantle yet again, with renowned pest Dillon Brooks and Lu Dort forming a defensive tandem while also providing occasional buckets. NBA Champion Jamal Murray is currently lost in the mix as he was quiet in the tune-up games and in the opener vs. Greece, putting up eight points and three dimes on 2-of-6 shooting across 18 minutes of action. We’ll see if he can have a better outing in this matchup.

Bigs Dwight Powell, Kelly Olynyk, and Trey Lyles, meanwhile, will look to be more productive on offense, especially the latter two as they were a combined 1-8 from the floor in 27 combined minutes on Sunday.

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Australia (1-0)

Starting five:

  • Josh Giddey
  • Dante Exum
  • Josh Green
  • Jock Landale
  • Duop Reath

The Boomers are also coming off a solid start. They used a balanced attack in their Paris debut as five reached double figures–four starters and one from the second unit—en route to a 92-80 victory over Spain.

Veteran Patty Mills showed the young guys how it’s done as he had 19 points, three threes, and two steals, nicely complementing the top options’ performances. Josh Giddey had 17 points, grabbed eight boards, and dished out eight dimes, while Jock Landale supplied a team-high 20 points alongside nine rebounds and five assists. Dyson Daniels, a two-year pro who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, and Jack McVeigh, meanwhile, mirrored each other’s statlines: 13 points, seven rebounds, and three threes.

Australia is behind Canada in terms of firepower, but they are an interesting group that has chemistry and is fun to watch. It’ll be intriguing to see them weave their way into this tourney.

PICKS:

Spread: Canada (-6)

Over/Under: (178.5)

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