MANILA, Philippines — These are the games that later become remembered as chapters, when a bronze-medal match that could have been a forgettable, 4:30 a.m. ET snoozefest morphed into a thriller.
Remember when Team USA was down three key rotation pieces, because a nasty illness swept through half the roster and its coaching staff? Remember when Mikal Bridges intentionally missed a free throw right, then ripped the ball toward the corner, backpedaled behind the arc and cashed a heroic triple to force overtime? Remember Canada’s first-ever victory over America at the FIBA World Cup, claiming the country’s first medal in tournament history — their first FIBA medal since the 1936 Olympics — with their own All-Star reinforcements bound for Paris in 2024?