Team USA cruises past Canada: Anthony Edwards shines, takeaways from pre-Olympic exhibition

LAS VEGAS — There were a few bumpy moments for Team USA during its Olympic training camp, but Wednesday’s game against Canada didn’t turn out to be one of them.

The Americans cruised to an 86-72 win in the summer exhibition opener for both countries in a packed T-Mobile Arena. Anthony Edwards, Team USA’s leading scorer at the World Cup when there weren’t all these stars around, picked up where he left off with 13 points off the bench. Anthony Davis, another reserve, produced what could be his first of many double-doubles with 10 points and 11 boards. Steph Curry was the team’s top starter with 12 points.

“We’re really just getting started,” Team USA coach Steve Kerr said. “Four days of practice. You could see the rust on the offensive end. A lot of turnovers in that first half, especially.

“But I love the defensive intensity and the work on the glass. So it was a good first effort. We needed to set a tone for how we want to play and I think we did that.”

The Canadians were led by R.J. Barrett with 12 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks added 10 points apiece. Jrue Holiday, in perhaps a surprise start, or maybe filling the role planned for Kawhi Leonard, played lock-down defense on Gilgeous-Alexander and also scored 11 points for the U.S.

As far as the two programs go, the Americans avenged their loss to Canada from the 2023 World Cup in the bronze medal game last September. Many of the Canadian players are the same; the Americans returned only two players.

“I just did not like the way we played, regardless of the score,” said Canada coach Jordi Fernandez, who is also the new coach of the Brooklyn Nets. “That’s not who we are, how we want to play, who we want to be.

“And in the first ten days of practice, we’ve done much better things. And give credit to Steve. This is a very good team. (It’s) not about the win or the loss, but the way we played. And that’s not who we want to be.”

With the American and Canadian teams stocked with NBA stars, and the league’s annual summer showcase getting ready to start in Las Vegas this weekend, the atmosphere inside T-Mobile Arena was both jubilant and rowdy. Charged, perhaps. Brooks was booed mercilessly and the American stars were cheered, especially those from the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.

Both teams have much to work on before the Olympics start on July 26. The Americans committed 15 turnovers to Canada’s 13 and trailed 11-1 to open the game. Joel Embiid fouled out with … 5:01 left in the third quarter? Yes, yes he did. So he needs to learn the FIBA rules and perhaps continue to ramp up conditioning. He also elbowed Dwight Powell in the face.

Both offenses were a little clunky. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 3-of-10 from the field and the Canadians were 7-of-32 from 3. LeBron James, who hasn’t played for Team USA since the 2012 Olympics, finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists on 3-of-7 shooting. Embiid was just 2-of-5 from the field and added six rebounds.

“We wanted to establish Joel early in the game, knowing Canada didn’t have a lot of size, and we didn’t really do that,” Kerr said. “They pressured us into some turnovers.”

The Americans flexed their old muscles and new ones. The one advantage they always have — depth — allowed them to erase a 21-14 first-quarter deficit. It was 41-33, Team USA, at halftime, and Edwards made a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer for a 69-54 advantage. Overall, Team USA’s bench outscored Canada’s reserves, 42-33, but the difference was greater before the game got out of hand.

Ant with the buzzer beater 🚨😤

📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/JJGiepMkw4

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 11, 2024

The size the Americans added by bringing in Davis, Embiid and Bam Adebayo was apparent. The USA scored 50 points in the paint to Canada’s 32, while the rebounding edge was only 46-43 in favor of the Americans — that was another area where the U.S. dominated until the closing minutes when the game was out of reach.

“I love the second group and then the defense, picking up the pace for us in transition,” Kerr said. “They made a few good plays there defensively to really kind of jumpstart our offense. And that got us into the game.”

Earlier Wednesday, USA announced it had dismissed Leonard (knee injury) and replaced him with Derrick White, who is expected to join the team in Abu Dhabi for practices and exhibition games over the next week. And Kevin Durant, Team USA’s all-time leading scorer, didn’t participate in any team drills or scrimmages this week due to a strained left calf.

When the Americans arrived in Las Vegas on Friday, they were a roster of 12 All-Stars — 11 of them current — and collective resumes that rival the Dream Team of 1992. If Durant returns as planned and the U.S. wins its fifth consecutive gold medal in Paris, this group will still be talked about in those lofty terms, but the first few days were not without their trials.

“Obviously, they’re tough decisions, and I know (Leonard) wanted to play, but it was one of those things where he wished us luck and told us he wanted us to go get the gold,” said Curry, who is on his first Olympic team. “We love that kind of support from a guy who is in a tough situation like that. Hopefully long term he’s in a good place, because the game needs him.”

Perhaps the brightest moment of camp took place Tuesday, with USA Basketball’s 50th-anniversary star-studded celebration. Many of the attendees were on hand for the game Wednesday night, seated all around the court. Former President Barack Obama, who spoke at the anniversary celebration Tuesday, Redeem Team architect Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski, NBA legends Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Gary Payton and Chauncey Billups, and all-time great college coaches John Calipari and Jim Boeheim, were among those with prime seats.

🇺🇸 @usabasketball legends 🤝 pic.twitter.com/UWQNWBd2db

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 11, 2024

“It was cool to be a fan for a hot second and look at all the history of USA sports about the men’s and women’s side, all the people we looked up to growing up in the game who’ve had iconic moments, legendary moments and have shaped what USA basketball (is),” Curry said. “And then you have President Obama come on and he’s great with the microphone. … I got goosebumps when he was talking, goosebumps watching the people who were in the room.”

Team USA next plays Australia at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Monday at noon ET. The Canadians’ next game is July 19 against Olympics-host France in Orléans, France.

Required reading

• Kawhi Leonard out for Team USA in Olympics, Derrick White to take his place
• Dillon Brooks has message for Team USA ahead of Olympics: ‘Canada will be ready to play’
• For the Olympics, USA men’s basketball has a sizable fix to fight a bully problem
• Team USA raves about Cooper Flagg, the 17-year-old standout at Olympic training camp

(Photo: Jeff Bottari / NBAE via Getty Images)