Canada rallies past Argentina 97-92 to remain unbeaten in World Cup qualifying

Canada overcomes slow start to beat Argentina in World Cup qualifier

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points and Lu Dort added 25 as Canada came from behind to defeat Argentina 97-92 in a FIBA men's basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifier on Monday night. The game, played at the Vidéotron Centre in Quebec City before more than 13,000 fans, was the first competitive outing for Dort since the NBA playoffs.

Canada improved to 8-0 in Group F and moved closer to securing a berth in the 2027 World Cup in Qatar. Argentina, ranked eighth in the world, fell to 6-2.

Alexander-Walker, who also had five assists, said the win was a team effort in overcoming a challenging start. “We put ourselves behind the eight ball,” said Canada’s head coach Gordie Herbert. “The important thing was to cut the lead to single digits before halftime, and credit to our players, that’s what they did.”

The first half did not go as Canada planned. Argentina jumped to a 13-6 lead before rallying to take a 29-23 advantage after the first quarter. The visitors extended their lead to 17 points, 40-23, just 95 seconds into the second quarter. Canada, with Dort on the bench due to foul trouble, trimmed the deficit to 53-48 by halftime.

Coach Herbert’s halftime message focused on cutting the lead to single digits, which the team achieved. Coming out of the break, Canada played more aggressively, outscoring Argentina 25-16 in the third quarter and leading by four points entering the final period. Veteran Kelly Olynyk played a key role with his play under the basket, according to The Globe and Mail.

Canada also led in several statistical categories, including rebounds (35-33), shooting percentage (48-47), offensive rebounds (10-8) and assists (23-19). Mfiondu Kabengele had 11 rebounds for Canada.

Lu Dort, despite not having played a competitive game since the playoffs, finished with 25 points, including the first points of the game. “I haven't played a competitive game since the playoffs, but I took care of my health this summer,” said Dort.

Argentina’s top scorer was Nicolas Laprovittola with 31 points, while Nicolas Brussino added 11.

Canada, ranked fifth in the FIBA world rankings, will play Uruguay on Nov. 26 in the South American country before facing Argentina again three days later in Argentina. The top three teams in the two remaining America groups will qualify for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar, with the best fourth-place finisher also earning a berth.