The summer of 2026 for Canada Basketball has been all about commitment. While the Senior Men’s team has already advanced to the next round of FIBA World Cup qualification, their commitment to dominance was on full display in front of a sold-out crowd of 11,000 in Hamilton on Friday in a 110-84 win against Puerto Rico.
“For as long as I’ve known Hamilton, they’ve always loved sports,” Gilgeous-Alexander said post-game. “For a homegrown kid that’s involved to be amplified, and that’s what we got tonight. The game wasn’t always close, but you can never tell the way they were in it.”
Canada started out with a never-before-seen look of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dillon Brooks, Andrew Nembhard, Leonard Miller, and Mfiondu Kabengele. The double-big lineup for the Canadians instantly looked to have an advantage against the smaller Puerto Rican side, with Canada scoring on 8 of their first 10 shots. The dynamism of Nembhard, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Brooks immediately stood out, as the trio combined to score 22 of their 31 points in the 1st quarter. By the end of the first half, those totaled for 36 of their 56 points.
One of the biggest questions heading into this qualifying window for Canada was their new crop of big men. While Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell and Zach Edey were in the building to support their former teammates, they weren’t featured on Canada’s roster this summer. Edey figures to be a part of Canada’s 2028 Olympic goals; the two veteran bigs are passing the torch to a newer, greener generation.
Could Kabengele, Miller, Charles Bediako, Kyle Wiltjer, and Thomas Kennedy help facilitate wins at the FIBA level alongside the NBA Stars on this team?
That question, at least temporarily, was answered.
Canada’s bigs helped them dominate on the glass in the 1st half, outrebounding the Puerto Ricans by 11 in the first 20 minutes of hoops. Kabengele, in particular, made his presence felt everywhere on the floor. On one possession, he blocked a shot at the basket, grabbed the board, and grabbed an offensive rebound on the next possession.
“I like playing with him,” Nembhard said about the big man. “He’s a big body in there, gives real good screens, and lets you get into the pocket and make plays. So basically, what the team gives us, you can kind of operate in a lot of different ways using him.”
Nembhard was certainly in the pocket. He was comfortable, dropping 25 points as the team’s lead ballhandler, while Gilgeous-Alexander did most of his damage off the ball.
“He’s special with the ball in his hands,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And the more space you give a guy like that, the more you see out there on the floor. I try to give him that space to be who he is and be comfortable out there and play off of that.”
Putting Gilgeous-Alexander off the ball was his idea, according to Head Coach Gordon Herbert, who told us post-game that he thinks the two-time NBA MVP is even more dangerous without the ball in his hands.
That proved true tonight. The sea of Canadian basketball fans draped in red and white got to see the best of their country show out in a dominant way. Gilgeous-Alexander continued to pour it on in his hometown, scoring his 25 points and getting to his spots in Michael Jordan-esque ways.
It was more of the same in the second half for Canada. The self-creation and isolation scoring of the Canadian guards and wings was just too much to handle. Anytime it felt like the game was getting too close for comfort (and by close I mean within 20 points), Canada would string together bucket after bucket, led by SGA, Nembhard and Brooks, who chipped in with 13.
The Puerto Ricans did put a dent in the lead in the second half. Led by Ismael Romero and Timberwolves wing Enrique Freeman, they began imposing their will from the inside. Without Jose Alvarado, who was listed on the active roster but wasn’t present, they just didn’t have enough offensively to keep up for a full game.
With this win, Canada extended its undefeated streak to 5 in World Cup qualifying play. They play Jamaica next on Monday in Hamilton to finish up their games against their current group. The next window will start on August 24th, when they can inch closer to qualification for the 2027 World Cup.
