Basketball World Cup - Game Day 3 Preview
The third day of competition at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 sees 8 match-ups across Groups A, D, E and H. Everyone has one game under their belts and the coaches will be make adjustments for their next group opponent. Don’t miss the action live with Courtside 1891 but just in case, there are multiple highlight options, from every game, all at your fingertips once the game concludes.
Group A
Italy vs Dominican Republic features both teams coming off impressive wins. The Italians will need to find a way to contain Karl-Anthony Towns, who is looking like a menace on the offensive end. The Italians will counter with strong team basketball but will likely need a standout performance once again from Simone Fontecchio.
Philippines vs Angola will have both teams desperate for a win. The home town crowd was all-in with Gilas Pilipinas and will be again. Jordan Clarkson will look to dominate this match-up and get the team back in the mix in Group A. Just don’t sleep on an impressive Angola squad who are looking to crash the home town party.
Group D
Montenegro vs Egypt will feature a clash in styles with Egypt trying to pull off an upset of their own. They’ll be in tough as Nikola Vucevic looked strong in Game 1 and will be a handful to contain on both ends of the floor.
Lithuania vs Mexico is a must win for Mexico. They need rebound from their loss to Montenegro but are in tough against Jonas Valančiūnas and co. They are looking to go 2-0 and ensure they stay at the top of Group D.
Group E
Australia vs Germany features the top teams currently in Group E. The basketball IQ levels will be off the charts in this one. Mo Wagner and Patty Mills will be putting on a clinic for their respective sides while both their supporting casts run deep into their benches; so anyone could break out with a monster performance. This is a prime example of how exciting international basketball can be.
Japan vs Finland has both teams coming off a loss and looking to bounce back. Yuta Watanabe will looking to lead his team to a win in front of their home fans. That will be a very tall order though as Lauri Markkanen is not about to let his team fall to 0-2 without a fight.
Group H
Lebanon vs Canada could be a tough one for The Cedars. While they have a strong squad, no team will want to go up against a Canadian team who just dismantled a tournament favourite by 30 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the MVP of Game 1 and based on that performance, you’d expect him to the same in Game 2.
France vs Latvia makes for a tasty match-up given France are looking up at Latvia in the current standings. “We got our (***) kicked" was the quote from France star Evan Fournier when asked to summarize their performance against Canada, so Les Bleus will be coming back strong to get that first win. That said, Dairis Bertans and his squad will be ready for anything.
