(CP24) MANILA, Philippines – Dillon Brooks went from receiving boos earlier in the tournament to hearing MVP chants. And he thanked his haters after a scintillating performance.
Brooks had a game-high 39 points in leading Canada to its first-ever medal at the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup with a 127-118 overtime win over the U.S. in the bronze-medal game on Sunday.
The Mississauga, Ont., native’s output set a Canadian single-game scoring record for most points in a FIBA World Cup, topping Carl Ridd’s mark of 37 in 1954. He went 7-of-8 from three-point range and 12-of-18 overall from the field.
“I just appreciate you,” Brooks said at the post-game press conference. “From the beginning, everyone that was throwing shots on (X, formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, watching me play but it just helps me get better each and every day.”
“Just happy to be able to put this jersey on,” he said when asked about his performance and the game. “I missed a couple of qualifiers and windows and I’m just happy to be here with my teammates … and represent my country, for the Canadians out there.”
Canada head coach Jordi Fernandez was quick to praise Brooks for his work.
“Really proud of Dillon, this is how it looks like when they let Dillon Brooks play,” he said. “And it’s not just on the defensive end. With Lu (Dort), he’s the best perimeter defender in the World Cup.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points, six rebounds and a game-high 12 assists for Canada, with RJ Barrett adding another 23 points and seven rebounds.
The medal is also Canada’s first on either the World Cup or Olympic stage since 1936 when Canada earned silver at the Berlin Games.
“The medal means a lot to the guys, the program, the board, the country, everybody, coaches,” Fernandez said. “I think that an accomplishment like this, you don’t know what it is until you do it.
“What you went through together for all these days and wins and losses and the emotions, it’s just very different. They will never know, we are the only ones that know. All these relations that we’ve built are gonna stay there forever.”
Fernandez, an assistant with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, lauded his team for their efforts dating back to training camp in early August.
“This team was amazing, special,” said Fernandez, who took over the job in June from Nick Nurse. “It’s the beginning of something that is gonna last for a long time and … all 12 guys, came in and worked every single day since Aug. 1 … and they built the identity that we shown resiliency.
“I think we’re here showing that we can do great things.”
Anthony Edwards led the way for the second-ranked Americans with 24 points, with Austin Reaves adding 23.
The win puts a wrap on a historic run through the tournament for the 15th-ranked Canadians.
Canada made it to the second round of the tournament for the first time since 1998 and placed first in the group phase for the first time ever.
Canada’s win over top-ranked defending champion Spain in the second round earned its qualification for the Paris 2024 Games, ending an Olympic drought dating back to 2000. It was also the first time since 1994 that Canada advanced to the quarterfinals.
The Canadians’ semifinal loss to sixth-ranked Serbia on Friday was their first-ever appearance in the final four.
