This would have been a game of dreams for Canadian forward Kelly Olynyk, except for one thing - Canada lost a tight game 68-63 to France, dropping to 0-3 at the world championship and closer to elimination, with matches against New Zealand and world champion Spain to come.
In his first sustained action at the serious world level, 19-year-old Olynyk scored 13 points, hit 4-of-5 field goals and all four three throws, and defended NBA starters Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum. Throwing his lanky 6-foot-11 body around the court, his head-first dives for loose balls inspired Canada in a full-out 40-minute dogfight that had 11 lead changes and 12 ties throughout.
"It's a big step for me personally. Now I feel like I can do things on a world level at this stage," says Olynyk, a Gonzaga University sophomore from Kamloops. "But I'd still rather have two wins than a great game. We had games right in our hands and we let them slip through."
While exasperated to lose three in a row on poor fourth-quarter shooting, Canadian coaches and players praised Olynyk's courage under fire. "It shows a lot of character for a guy his age to come in and play without fear at this level," said Levon Kendall, who led Canada with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
"He plays with balls. He's not timid," coach Leo Rautins said. "He doesn't care who he plays against, he just wants to play. His basketball IQ is exceptional, and it really shines at a higher level. He's a big part of our future."
Rautins said he was kicking himself for not playing Olynyk more in the first two losses to Lebanon and Lithuania. Those losses put Canada in a deep hole in the group stage, where two wins are usually needed to advance to the knock-out phase. Lebanon, New Zealand and Spain all have one win, while France and Lithuania are unbeaten.
Assistant coach Wayne Yearwood, who affectionately calls Olynyk "a baby," said the coaches had been telling Olynyk all week, "Get ready, get ready. It's coming." Coming off the bench, Olynyk's tenacity highlighted Canada's urgency. Miami Heat centre Joel Anthony, from Montreal, also dove head-first for loose balls and swatted away three shots in a first half flurry. Kendall's hustle for a rebound resulted in Olynyk's inside score to even the score at 28-28 at the half.
The third quarter, where Canada let the previous two games get away, was even more neck-and-neck. Olynyk and others held Charlotte Bobcats forward Boris Diaw to eight points. "He's a big man, I can tell you that right now," Olynyk said. "He was the most physical player I've ever been up against."
With Canada up 48-46 after three quarters, Olynyk spearheaded a break and earned two at the line for a 50-46 lead. But France, which lost two warm-up games in Canada this summer, coalesced on defence and found holes inside on offence. "Canada started it much stronger than us. They gave everything to win it," French coach Vincent Collet said.
"Obviously they can feel frustrated, because for 35, 36 minutes they deserved it more than us."
Sensing the Canadians' desperation, Turkish fans got behind them. At 52-52 with six minutes left, Olynyk scored again inside, surprising French players unfamiliar with him.
Again, whistles cost Canada late, and cold shooting late by Kendall, Jermaine Anderson and Denham Brown nullified offensive rebounds by Olynyk and others, while France sank key free throws to go ahead. In the waning moments, Alain Koffi of France blocked Brown's drive off a clear-out, and Batum sealed the game with free throws.
Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, ended the game with 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Batum said Canada missed the leadership and shooting of Andy Rautins, who sat on Canada's bench in jeans after aggravating a knee injury early against Lithuania on Sunday. His father and coach, Leo, said he "compromised the father-son relationship" by letting Andy play in the second half, because he knows his son has such a high pain threshold and determination to win. "If he was any of the other players, I wouldn't have played him in the second half," he said, doubting whether his son would be ready for the next two games.
Batum said Canada still has a chance to advance in the tournament.
"Canada played very great. We knew they were going to be tough," he said. "Two weeks ago we lost to them by 15 and 20, so we know they can really play. They have two more games and I think they can win for sure.
Special to The Globe and Mail