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Lebanon were no match for Canada in their second game of the World Cup in Jakarta on Sunday (128-73).
There was no miracle. In fact, no one really believed that a miracle would happen, given the level of playing Les Cèdres displayed against Latvia in the first game of the 2023 World Cup. After the opening slap in the face, Lebanon turned the other cheek.
On Sunday, the Lebanese basketball team suffered their second consecutive defeat in the space of two days in this competition, losing (harshly) to the Canadians (128-73).
Nothing is going right for the Asian vice-champions, who once again “played backwards,” and against Canada, that’s no excuse. The scoreline at the end of the first quarter sums up the Lebanese performance: 29-13. It’s hard to recover from such a catastrophic start.
The Lebanese just can’t get going
Clearly, Jad el-Hajj’s proteges were unable to raise their game to the required level, and the group had not found its cohesion. This was not the case for Canada, who confirmed their current brilliant form. After winning by a 30-point margin against France (95-65), the Canadians beat Lebanon by 55 points, all with disconcerting ease.
The Canucks didn’t have to force their talent in a game they dominated from start to finish.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s team-mates (12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) were impressively accurate, shooting 71% from the field (50/70) and making 60% of their three-pointers (18/30). During this match, Canada set a new competition record by making the most assists in a World Cup match (44). The squad was also able to rotate, with no player exceeding 21 minutes on the floor.
For their part, the Lebanese went into the match in better spirits than they had against Latvia, but their opponents were just too strong. Wael Arakji has yet to rediscover the form that earned him the title of best player at the Asian Championship. Omari Spellman, a heavyweight with a borrowed style of play, has proven absolutely nothing so far. Above all, he has failed to live up to the expectations and financial sacrifices made by the Federation’s directors.
Dominated on the rebound and clumsy, the Lebanese gave the Canadians free rein, and they were outplayed for 40 minutes. Suffice to say, the Lebanese never saw the light of day, with an incalculable number of turnovers (22 in total!).
The merciless Canadians
In the fourth and final quarter, the merciless Canadian players continued to press the accelerator without a second thought. The final whistle put an end to the Cedars’ ordeal (128-73).
Lebanon will now face France on Tuesday. Not exactly a cause for celebration, given that Les Bleus are among the tournament favorites.
If Lebanon had been hoping to get back on track after their loss against Latvia on Friday, they didn’t stand a chance. On Sunday, Lebanon lost their way in the Canadian fog.
It seems a long way from the 2010 World Cup, when Lebanon beat Canada in the group phase. But it’s not Fady Khatib who willed this…
