Spain already knows the order in which their rivals will be measured in the second phase of the 2023 World Cup, which will also be held in Jakarta. Even without official timetables, Latvia is measured on Friday, and Canada is measured on Sunday. The schedule was confirmed after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the tournament’s players, overpowered Latvia and turned the Indonesian Arena upside down again with his arabesques with the ball. He’s a magical player who outperforms the team even when the game calls for it. This Tuesday, he ended his participation with 27 points (59% shooting accuracy), which gives the feeling that he still has some equipment to go. Canada melted the Latvians (101–75).
Latvia held the bellows for 20 minutes. Well organized, tough in defense, and a fighter, although they gave her strength (a good warning for Spain that she will sell her defeat next Friday), she even managed to gain an eleven-point advantage towards the end of the second half (23–34) drive-out quarter. Zagars, Kurucks, and Smits took him that far, players to watch ahead of Scariolo and his assistants, who know them well from the ACB… At that moment, Canada stamped their feet and paused in an instant Victory after a quick comeback (43–42). With Barrett on form, he opened the gap early in the third quarter (53-44), and after a final Baltic try (57-54), SGA took over and easily decided the game for Olynik (15 points) and Alexander-Walker (14). As against France, Jordi Fernández had the patience to endure the game and assert his enormous physical superiority in the second half. Canada looks like a monster in the second phase, but by the time Spain crosses that train, they could already be a quarterfinal team. If it is taken for granted that the national team will defeat Iran in an apparent procedure this Wednesday, they will be in the top eight if they can beat Latvia on Friday. The accounts are simple.
