Getty Canada's RJ Barrett gestures after receiving the MVP of the game after the FIBA Basketball World Cup group H between Canada and Lebanon.
New York Knicks wing RJ Barrett bounced back with a vengeance, throwing a windmill slam dunk en route to leading Canada to a second straight win and to the second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
We see you, RJ Barrett, we see you! 👀
#FIBAWC x #WinForCanada 🇨🇦
It will mark Canada’s first appearance in the second round of the world championships in four decades.
Barrett had a lot to do with that.
The Knicks’ former lottery pick finished with 17 points and sparked Canada’s early breakaway in a 128-73 rout of an overmatched Lebanon team led by his one-time Knicks teammate Omari Spellman on Sunday in Jakarta, Indonesia.
It was a solid bounce-back game for the Knicks’ small forward after his woeful two-point, 1-of-10 shooting performance in Canada’s opening win.
The 23-year-old Barrett shot 7-of-12 this time, including 3-of-6 from behind the arc. He also added three assists, one assist and one steal. He was a plus-32 in just 20 minutes of playing time.
Barrett had to shake off another slow start — missing a 3-pointer, a turnover and a foul in side the first 74 seconds of the game. Then, he found his footing midway in the first quarter.
His 3-pointer and an assist to Kelly Olynyk started a 13-2 run by Canada that turned a 6-5 deficit into an 18-8 lead that ballooned to 29-13 at the end of the first quarter.
The Canadians never looked back.
Spellman led Lebanon with 16 points.
Spellman had a brief stint with the Knicks during the 2020-21 season from the Ed Davis trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The former first-round pick was waived in January, 2021 to clear a roster spot for Taj Gibson.
NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, by 22 points during their warmup games.
Jalen Brunson, Team USA Shake off Slow Start
Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson and Team USA recovered from an early 10-point hole to get off on the right track with a 99-72 rout of New Zealand on Saturday in Philippines.
Brunson finished with 10 points, on 3-of-6 shooting with four rebounds and four assists in a team-high 25 minutes, but not after a shaky start.
Brunson scored the game’s first basket then missed his next two attempts as New Zealand zoomed to a 14-4 roaring start, forcing Team USA coach Steve Kerr to adjust.
“[We] Started out slow,” Brunson said while walking to the locker room after the game. “We have to give [New Zealand] a lot of credit.”
Kerr turned to his second unit, which is more suited to a defensive switching scheme than their earlier drop coverage, with Brunson defending from the point of attack and Jaren Jackson Jr. protecting the rim.
The second unit overhauled the deficit then Brunson picked things up in the third quarter, dropping five points with each basket giving Team USA an 11-point lead. He also drew two charges.
“We fought,” Brunson said. “We came back with full energy and put them away in the second half. We gotta get ready to go from the start of the game, but good first step for us.”
Josh Hart, the other Knicks player in Team USA, came off the bench with his signature energy and provided five points and four rebounds. He was a game-high plus-28 in 15 minutes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Opens Door for Knicks
Knicks target Giannis Antetokounmpo opened the door to a potential move after telling the New York Times that he’s unsure of signing an extension with the Milwaukee Bucks.
“The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise, it doesn’t make sense,” Antetokounmpo said in the New York Times story. “But next year, next summer, it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know.”
Antetokounmpo will be eligible to sign a three-year extension worth about $173 million later this offseason. But he said he’ll only sign if he and the Bucks are on the same page in their pursuit of another NBA title.