The Canadian men’s basketball team has clinched a spot in the quarterfinals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Canada’s 2-0 and their final group-stage game against Spain will be massive in terms of determining their position in the tournament moving forward.
First Place Finish
If Canada beats Spain they will finish first in Group A. A win here for Canada would have them finishing at worst as the No. 3 team in the playoff bracket and they would likely avoid being on the same side as the United States who should end up as the top seed in the knockout round. If Canada beats Spain, then the difference between the second and third seeds will be determined by point differential. This will be between Canada and whoever wins the Germany-France game. Canada could still win Group A even if they lose to Spain. If Australia beats Greece and Canada loses to Spain by seven or fewer points, Canada still wins the group. If this happens, Canada would wind up as the No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the playoff bracket which would depend on the margin of defeat in the Germany-France game.
Second Place Finish
If Canada loses to Spain and Greece beats Australia, then Canada will be the No. 2 seed in Group A. This would likely put them on the same side of the bracket as the United States in the knockout stage. This would also happen if Australia beats Greece and Canada loses to Spain by 9 or 10 points.
Third Place Finish
If Australia beats Greece and Canada loses to Spain by 12 or more points, then Canada will drop down as the third-best team in Group A and will qualify for the playoffs as a wild-card team.
This final group-stage game for Canada will be huge. Canada should want to avoid the United States until the very end. Therefore, it’ll be important for Canada to win their final matchup against Spain and stay on the bottom side of the bracket as the No. 2 or No. 3 seed. This would give the Canadians the best shot at advancing to the final in a potential gold medal game showdown against the United States.
Canada vs. Spain
Canada will take on Spain in their final Group A game on Aug. 2 at 11:15 a.m. ET.
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