Spain vs Canada FIBA World Cup Second Round Game Preview, Prediction & Live Stream
- Both Spain and Canada fell to upsets by Latvia and Brazil respectively
- Spain's pedigree faces Canada's up-and-coming talent
- Game set to tip-off at the Indonesia Arena at 13:30 GMT on Sunday, September 3 2023
- Current world champs at risk of being eliminated
- Canada was tipped to be USA's biggest threat but now face a "win or go home" scenario
Spain and Canada to fight for survival at the 2023 FIBA World Cup after stunning upsets
This game was meant to be the top billing of Group L, with Spain wanting to show the world they're not ready to give up their title of World Champions and Canada chasing a statement win to emerge as the freshest rivals to Team USA. In the end, the stakes will be much higher, as both Canada and Spain need a win to make it to the next round, and one of the two will be eliminated from the FIBA World Cup.
Spain seemed to be running away with it in the third quarter after a Latvian 8-0 run, but Banchi's men showed admirable resilience and came back from 7 down in the last 7 minutes of the fourth quarter.
Canada, on the other hand, never really got into it vs Brazil in a low-scoring match that saw Conti's Cariocas emerge victorious after coming back from 12 down.
Spain vs Canada - preview and key factors
The last game of the Second Round will be a nervy affair between two teams that can only win. The ball game will be have several deciding factors:
- Canada need to find offensive solutions. They were slowed down by Brazil's defense, and need to do better against a Spain defense that will look to do the same on Sunday.
- Spain need to rebound as their offensive units haven't worked against Latvia. Only Willy Hernangomez reached double digits.
- Spain's players are more used to high-pressure situations than Canadians
Spain vs Canada Prediction
Spain will need to limit Canada's offense much like Brazil, the team they comfortably beat in their group stage. It's easier said than done, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and teammates will be laser-focused on finding answer to what questions Brazil's defense provided. Even without none of the Gasols involved, Spain will make sure this is their Golden Generation's swan song, and are the favorites to come up victorious against Canada in what looks like a volatile matchup, ready to end in overtime like it did in the warmup to the competition.
Spain vs Canada: How to Watch
This FIBA World Cup Second Round match-up from Okinawa will be available to stream live* worldwide on Courtside 1891 on Sunday, September 3rd from 12:10 GMT+1.
Don’t worry if you can’t catch the live action, Courtside 1891 will have extensive on-demand coverage and highlights after the game finishes. For the latest highlights alerts as well as live streaming and premium on-demand content, download the official Courtside 1891 app today.
